Radiation Therapy News and Research

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Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy, x-ray therapy, or irradiation) is the use of a certain type of energy (called ionizing radiation) to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy injures or destroys cells in the area being treated (the “target tissue”) by damaging their genetic material, making it impossible for these cells to continue to grow and divide. Although radiation damages both cancer cells and normal cells, most normal cells can recover from the effects of radiation and function properly. The goal of radiation therapy is to damage as many cancer cells as possible, while limiting harm to nearby healthy tissue.

Hippocampal avoidance during whole-brain radiotherapy reduces risk of cognitive decline

Whole-brain radiotherapy can be delivered more safely to patients with brain metastases by avoiding the hippocampus according to a randomized phase III NRG Oncology trial presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting.

23 Oct 2018

New liquid biopsy test confirms remission in patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer

A highly sensitive blood test that detects minute traces of cancer-specific DNA has been shown to accurately determine whether patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma are free from cancer following radiation therapy.

23 Oct 2018

Cancer treatment may undergo a paradigm shift to immunotherapy soon

Immunotherapy when used for cancer treatment could extend life longer finds studies. Experts have explained that until now immunotherapy was reserved as a last resort for most patients and treatment usually comprised of chemotherapy and radiation therapy failing which these were tried. In a pair of clinical trials, researchers have found that using immunotherapy as first line treatment can extend lives of these cancer patients.

23 Oct 2018

Prostate radiotherapy improves survival in men with low burden of metastatic disease

Radiotherapy to the prostate improves overall survival in men newly diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer who have a low metastatic disease burden but not in those with higher burden of disease, according to results from a pre-planned analysis of a large comparison study reported at ESMO 2018.

22 Oct 2018

Brainlab unveils ExacTrac Dynamic at ASTRO meeting in San Antonio, Texas

Brainlab unveils ExacTrac Dynamic at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

From Elekta 22 Oct 2018

Radiotherapy can prolong survival in prostate cancer

A new major study from London has shown that radiotherapy can extend survival among patients with prostate cancer. The study shows that larger number of patients given standard therapy along with radiation therapy survived three years after the initiation of the study despite having a local spread of their cancer.

21 Oct 2018

Patients once thought incurable can benefit from high-dose radiation therapy

In the first randomized, phase II clinical trial of its kind, researchers have shown that an aggressive form of high-precision radiation therapy can greatly increase how long oligometastatic patients live and doubles how long they live without cancer.

17 Oct 2018

Training young researchers to work with data volumes arising in the health sector

Investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases give rise to big data volumes. Their systematic analysis may produce new findings for the diagnosis and therapy of diseases, such as cancer.

17 Oct 2018

Notable improvement in brain cancer survival among younger patients but not much for elderly

A new study from Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki and the Finnish Cancer Registry shows that survival after glioblastoma has improved since the millennium. The improvement in survival was, however, modest in elderly patients, raising concerns whether current treatment strategies are optimal for this patient group.

16 Oct 2018

$New guideline supports hypofractionated radiation therapy for men with prostate cancer$

New guideline supports hypofractionated radiation therapy for men with prostate cancer

Three prominent medical societies today issued a new clinical guideline for physicians treating men with early-stage prostate cancer using external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Adoption of the guideline could make treatment shorter and more convenient for many patients with prostate cancer, the most common malignancy among American men.

12 Oct 2018

Scientists succeed in growing functional salivary gland

A research group led by scientists from Showa University and the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Japan have, for the first time, succeeded in growing three-dimensional salivary gland tissue that, when implanted into mice, produced saliva like normal glands.

11 Oct 2018

Aggressive breast cancer hijacks normal protective physiological process to survive

A member of a protein family known for protecting our cells also protects cancer cells in aggressive, metastatic breast cancer, scientists report.

3 Oct 2018

Olfactory cells could act as 'Trojan horse,' delivering anticancer therapy to dangerous brain tumors

A special type of cell essential to the ability of olfactory neurons to regenerate may be genetically engineered to deliver anticancer therapy to the dangerous brain tumors called glioblastomas.

27 Sep 2018

Researchers take first steps in developing 'paintable' chemotherapy for melanoma

Skin acts as the first line of defense against pathogens and other harmful material from outside the body. Yet this barrier also excludes some beneficial drugs that could treat skin diseases.

26 Sep 2018

Prostatectomy plus radiotherapy associated with greater survival in prostate cancer patients

High-risk prostate cancer, that which has continued to grow but not yet metastasized, is commonly treated with combination therapies. Each method has pros and cons, but there is little clarity whether one might be more effective than the other.

25 Sep 2018

Researchers develop molecule that makes cancer cells sensitive to radiotherapy

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Kancera AB have developed a molecule that makes cancer cells sensitive to radiotherapy. In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers describe a new way to block cancer cells' ability to repair their DNA and thus stop the survival of cancer cells.

25 Sep 2018

Addition of CTLA4 targeted therapy to PD-1 targeted therapy may benefit patients with ovarian cancer

An analysis of the NRG Oncology clinical trial NRG-GY003 suggests that adding ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the protein receptor CTLA-4, to a regimen with the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab could improve the proportion with tumor response and progression-free survival hazard rates for women with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

19 Sep 2018

Adding PET scans to CT imaging can change treatment for women with cervical cancer

An Ontario clinical study that shows adding PET imaging to conventional CT imaging to stage locally advanced cervix cancer can change treatment means newly diagnosed women in this province may also receive PET imaging.

17 Sep 2018

New clinical trial initiated on experimental vaccine to stop the spread of glioblastoma

Rush University Medical Center is part of a new clinical trial testing whether an experimental vaccine can help patients' immune systems stop the spread of glioblastoma -- an aggressive form of brain cancer with veryhttps://www.rush.edu/news/press-releases/rush-testing-new-brain-cancer-vaccine few current treatment options.

14 Sep 2018

Gene involved in circadian rhythms can be potential target for glioblastoma treatment

Scientists with the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute say a gene involved in the body's circadian rhythms is a potential target for therapies to help patients with a deadly form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma.

11 Sep 2018

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Hippocampal avoidance during whole-brain radiotherapy reduces risk of cognitive decline

New liquid biopsy test confirms remission in patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer

Cancer treatment may undergo a paradigm shift to immunotherapy soon

Prostate radiotherapy improves survival in men with low burden of metastatic disease

Brainlab unveils ExacTrac Dynamic at ASTRO meeting in San Antonio, Texas

Radiotherapy can prolong survival in prostate cancer

Patients once thought incurable can benefit from high-dose radiation therapy

Training young researchers to work with data volumes arising in the health sector

Notable improvement in brain cancer survival among younger patients but not much for elderly

New guideline supports hypofractionated radiation therapy for men with prostate cancer

Scientists succeed in growing functional salivary gland

Aggressive breast cancer hijacks normal protective physiological process to survive

Olfactory cells could act as 'Trojan horse,' delivering anticancer therapy to dangerous brain tumors

Researchers take first steps in developing 'paintable' chemotherapy for melanoma

Prostatectomy plus radiotherapy associated with greater survival in prostate cancer patients

Researchers develop molecule that makes cancer cells sensitive to radiotherapy

Addition of CTLA4 targeted therapy to PD-1 targeted therapy may benefit patients with ovarian cancer

Adding PET scans to CT imaging can change treatment for women with cervical cancer

New clinical trial initiated on experimental vaccine to stop the spread of glioblastoma

Gene involved in circadian rhythms can be potential target for glioblastoma treatment

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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