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.

Research findings can lead to new treatment for patients with fatal glandular cancer

A new combination of existing drugs has been shown to block the cancer gene behind a fatal form of glandular cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma. The findings from the Sahlgrenska Academy can lead to new treatment for patients with this disease relatively soon.

28 Sep 2017

Blood test may predict treatment outcomes for patients with localized NSCLC

A new study demonstrates that a blood test to detect cancer may predict treatment outcomes for patients with localized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and afford physicians additional lead time to personalize treatment for recurrent disease.

28 Sep 2017

$Hypofractionated breast radiation therapy safe and effective in women under 50, study finds$

Hypofractionated breast radiation therapy safe and effective in women under 50, study finds

A higher-dose, shorter form of radiation is safe, effective, and no more damaging to the breast tissue or skin of breast cancer patients under age 50 than it is in older patients.

25 Sep 2017

Study links distress to missed appointments and hospital admission during cancer therapy

Psychological distress has long been associated with negative health outcomes for cancer patients, though specific reasons remain unclear.

25 Sep 2017

Researchers explore new combination approach to treat high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers are investigating a new approach to treat high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas by combining two immunotherapy drugs with radiation therapy to stimulate the immune system to destroy the main tumor as well as leftover microscopic cancer cells that may seed other tumors.

20 Sep 2017

BWH researchers identify new rare genetic cause of peritoneal mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive tumor that, in many cases, results from exposure to asbestos. But over the last several decades, other causes of the disease have emerged, including treatment with high-intensity therapeutic radiation and, more recently, an inherited genetic mutation.

14 Sep 2017

Arkansas professor makes strides toward developing enhanced cancer treatment

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor is making strides toward developing an effective cancer treatment without the severe side effects of traditional therapies.

13 Sep 2017

Genome sequence cannot predict radiation resistance, say researchers

For the last two decades, researchers worldwide have been using whole genome sequencing to understand what makes cells radiation-resistant, hoping to solve an old biological mystery: why is it that one of the most radiation-resistant organisms, Deinococcus radiodurans, aka "Conan the bacterium," can survive hundreds of times more DNA damage caused by gamma rays than most other organisms? According to a study published recently in Standards of Genomic Sciences by researchers at the Uniformed Services University (USU), the amount of radiation a Deinococcus cell can survive in fact has little to do with the number and types of its DNA repair proteins.

11 Sep 2017

Study identifies late effects that may interfere with work status of young adult cancer survivors

Factors that limit the work ability of young adult cancer survivors are reported today at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid.

11 Sep 2017

Study: Chemoradiation should remain standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer

A 14-year randomised trial in more than 600 patients has concluded that chemoradiation should remain the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. The findings are reported today at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid. The trial demonstrated no improved disease-free survival with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery.

11 Sep 2017

New study finds lack of adherence to lifesaving treatment among breast cancer patients on opioids

A new study has found a troubling lack of adherence to a potentially lifesaving treatment regimen among breast cancer patients who take opioids to manage their pain.

1 Sep 2017

Comprehensive program takes patient care to next level by improving lives of women with ovarian cancer

The Southeast's first comprehensive cancer treatment program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham takes patient care to the next level by improving the lives of women affected by or at risk for ovarian cancer.

31 Aug 2017

ASTRO recognizes 43 researchers for their top-rated abstracts at 2017 Annual Meeting

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has selected 43 recipients to be presented with one of its 2017 Annual Meeting Abstract Awards. These individuals will be recognized for their top-rated research abstracts at ASTRO's 59th Annual Meeting, taking place September 24-27 in San Diego.

31 Aug 2017

Research paves way for new drugs that may prevent tumor repopulation after radiation therapy

Whenever an organism is damaged, the cells surrounding the wound receive signals to proliferate more intensely so as to regenerate the injured tissue.

26 Aug 2017

Cancer treatments could affect person’s sense of taste and dietary preferences

Cancer treatments have many effects on patients – some apparent and some less so. One of the most noticeable changes is a change in taste.

26 Aug 2017

Tumor irradiation may prolong survival of NSCLC patients undergoing novel chemotherapy formulation

Patients with unresectable, or inoperable, lung cancer are often given a dismal prognosis, with low rates of survival beyond a few years.

26 Aug 2017

Writing your way through cancer

When Lynn Scozzari wrote the beginning lines of that poem, "The Offering," in 2013, she was staring at a photo of a naked woman seated on a rock, her arms thrust open to a valley below. Scozzari herself was in a conference room of the cancer center at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., seated at a table stocked with coffee and tissues.

26 Aug 2017

Female patients with esophageal cancer have superior response to treatment, study reveals

Female patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer that is treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy before surgery are more likely to have a favorable response to the treatment than male patients are, and women are less likely to experience cancer recurrence, according to a study published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

22 Aug 2017

ASTRO commends NRC's final rule that defines medical events for permanent implant brachytherapy

The American Society for Radiation Oncology applauds the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission for yesterday's announcement of a final rule that updates the definition of medical events for permanent implant brachytherapy and protects patients' access to this treatment.

18 Aug 2017

Moffitt Cancer Center and Cvergenx form research partnership to revolutionize radiation therapy

Moffitt Cancer Center and Cvergenx announced a new research partnership that aims to revolutionize radiation therapy. The goal of the Future of Radiation Therapy project is to create a framework for using a patient's genetic information to provide a personalized radiation treatment plan.

9 Aug 2017

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Research findings can lead to new treatment for patients with fatal glandular cancer

Blood test may predict treatment outcomes for patients with localized NSCLC

Hypofractionated breast radiation therapy safe and effective in women under 50, study finds

Study links distress to missed appointments and hospital admission during cancer therapy

Researchers explore new combination approach to treat high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas

BWH researchers identify new rare genetic cause of peritoneal mesothelioma

Arkansas professor makes strides toward developing enhanced cancer treatment

Genome sequence cannot predict radiation resistance, say researchers

Study identifies late effects that may interfere with work status of young adult cancer survivors

Study: Chemoradiation should remain standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer

New study finds lack of adherence to lifesaving treatment among breast cancer patients on opioids

Comprehensive program takes patient care to next level by improving lives of women with ovarian cancer

ASTRO recognizes 43 researchers for their top-rated abstracts at 2017 Annual Meeting

Research paves way for new drugs that may prevent tumor repopulation after radiation therapy

Cancer treatments could affect person’s sense of taste and dietary preferences

Tumor irradiation may prolong survival of NSCLC patients undergoing novel chemotherapy formulation

Writing your way through cancer

Female patients with esophageal cancer have superior response to treatment, study reveals

ASTRO commends NRC's final rule that defines medical events for permanent implant brachytherapy

Moffitt Cancer Center and Cvergenx form research partnership to revolutionize radiation therapy

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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