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.

Standard therapy plus abiraterone lowers relative risk of death in men with advanced prostate cancer

A clinical trial of nearly 2,000 men shows that adding abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) to a standard initial treatment regimen for high-risk, advanced prostate cancer lowers the relative risk of death by 37%.

5 Jun 2017

Moffitt researchers hope to improve personalized radiation therapy for head and neck cancer patients

Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments used to fight cancer, with an estimated 500,000 people each year receiving radiation therapy either alone or in combination with other treatments.

31 May 2017

Clinical trial uses small molecule to treat men with incurable prostate cancer

NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine have begun the first clinical trial in the United States that uses a small molecule to treat men with progressive prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate and is no longer responding to hormonal therapy.

31 May 2017

Combined modality treatment provides alternative to complete bladder removal for patients with MIBC

A meta-analysis of previously published cancer research showed no difference in five-year and 10-year survival rates between patients who underwent radical cystectomy, which is the surgical removal of the bladder, and a bladder-preserving combined modality treatment (CMT) plan, which combines radiation therapy, chemotherapy and the removal of the bladder tumor.

31 May 2017

Target of Medicare insider trading case boasted he was unstoppable ‘beast’

In his prime, consultant David Blaszczak bragged that he made millions for his hedge-fund clients when he predicted important Medicare funding changes.

30 May 2017

FDA approves expanded use of Zykadia for first-line treatment of ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC

Novartis today announced the US Food and Drug Administration approved the expanded use of Zykadia (ceritinib) to include the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors are anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive, as detected by an FDA-approved test.

27 May 2017

Immunotherapy can be more effective in NSCLC patients who received radiation therapy, study shows

A new study by UCLA scientists has found that the breakthrough immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can be more effective in improving survival in people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) if they have previously received radiation therapy, compared to those without a history of radiation treatment.

25 May 2017

Children surviving chronic health conditions may suffer from brain function issues

Survival rates continue to rise for children living with once-fatal chronic pediatric health conditions. But their survival comes at a cost: many experience long-term neurocognitive deficits.

17 May 2017

Scientists produce world's first CT images of biological tissue using protons

An international team of scientists has produced the world's first computerized tomography images of biological tissue using protons - a momentous step towards improving the quality and feasibility of Proton Therapy for cancer sufferers around the world.

11 May 2017

Elekta Unity (MR/RT) featured in 20 abstracts at ESTRO

Advances in magnetic resonance radiation therapy (MR/RT) has the potential to transform accuracy, efficiency and clinical outcomes in radiation therapy.

9 May 2017

Elekta Unity introduced transformative magnetic resonance radiation therapy at ESTRO

Through intelligent and pioneering design, Elekta Unity (MR-linac) combines the best of both worlds to create a new paradigm for cancer care and provide extraordinary potential for ‘hard to treat’ cancers.

9 May 2017

Elekta demonstrate high definition dynamic radiosurgery with Versa HD and Monaco at ESTRO

Exhibit and events to highlight High definition Dynamic Radiosurgery with Versa HD and Monaco treatment planning software.

9 May 2017

Precise delivery of HDR brachytherapy provides good quality of life to prostate cancer patients

Doctors have found that treating prostate cancer with a single, high dose of radiation delivered precisely to the site of the tumor results in good quality of life and fewer trips to the hospital, with adverse side effects that are no worse than if the radiation treatment had been given in several lower doses.

8 May 2017

Adaptive radiation treatment decreases incidence of pneumonitis in lung cancer patients

Lung cancer patients who are treated with radiotherapy can develop an inflammation of the lung tissue called pneumonitis; this can limit the dose of radiation they can receive and severe forms of pneumonitis if left untreated, can be fatal.

5 May 2017

Scientists identify RIOK1 enzyme as new target for cancer therapy

Dr. Florian Weinberg, from Prof. Dr. Tilman Brummer's research group at the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research of the University of Freiburg, joined forces with scientists from the Departments of Clinical Pathology and Medicine I of the University Medical Centre Freiburg and the Kinghorn Cancer Centre/Garvan Insitute in Australia in an international team that has identified a new target for cancer therapy.

5 May 2017

Recurrence of HPV-negative HNSCC after radiation therapy linked to high tumor levels of PD-L1 protein

Recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) following radiation therapy was associated with high tumor levels of the protein PD-L1.

5 May 2017

Stereotactic radiation provides effective, noninvasive treatment option for kidney cancer patients

Kidney cancer patients may soon have an alternative to traditional treatments, new research at UT Southwestern Medical Center's Kidney Cancer Program of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center shows.

2 May 2017

Study finds shorter course of radiation therapy given after mastectomy to be safe and effective

A shorter course of radiation therapy given to breast cancer patients following mastectomy is safe and effective and cuts treatment time in half. That is according to data from a phase II clinical trial conducted by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey investigators and other colleagues who examined a hypofractionated regimen given over three weeks versus the traditional six week course of treatment.

2 May 2017

Study reveals promising results for primary liver cancer patients treated with SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres

Patients with advanced or inoperable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) who usually received one or two treatments with liver-directed SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres in the 459-patient French SARAH study had similar survival compared to patients who received standard twice-daily systemic treatment with sorafenib, but with less than half the number and significantly fewer severe treatment-related adverse effects and significantly better Quality of Life, according to data presented here at The International Liver Congress™ 2017.

26 Apr 2017

NCCN Radiation Therapy Compendium adds nine new clinical practice guidelines in oncology

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network continues to build its NCCN Radiation Therapy Compendium with the publication of radiation therapy (RT) recommendations from an additional nine NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

19 Apr 2017

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Standard therapy plus abiraterone lowers relative risk of death in men with advanced prostate cancer

Moffitt researchers hope to improve personalized radiation therapy for head and neck cancer patients

Clinical trial uses small molecule to treat men with incurable prostate cancer

Combined modality treatment provides alternative to complete bladder removal for patients with MIBC

Target of Medicare insider trading case boasted he was unstoppable ‘beast’

FDA approves expanded use of Zykadia for first-line treatment of ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC

Immunotherapy can be more effective in NSCLC patients who received radiation therapy, study shows

Children surviving chronic health conditions may suffer from brain function issues

Scientists produce world's first CT images of biological tissue using protons

Elekta Unity (MR/RT) featured in 20 abstracts at ESTRO

Elekta Unity introduced transformative magnetic resonance radiation therapy at ESTRO

Elekta demonstrate high definition dynamic radiosurgery with Versa HD and Monaco at ESTRO

Precise delivery of HDR brachytherapy provides good quality of life to prostate cancer patients

Adaptive radiation treatment decreases incidence of pneumonitis in lung cancer patients

Scientists identify RIOK1 enzyme as new target for cancer therapy

Recurrence of HPV-negative HNSCC after radiation therapy linked to high tumor levels of PD-L1 protein

Stereotactic radiation provides effective, noninvasive treatment option for kidney cancer patients

Study finds shorter course of radiation therapy given after mastectomy to be safe and effective

Study reveals promising results for primary liver cancer patients treated with SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres

NCCN Radiation Therapy Compendium adds nine new clinical practice guidelines in oncology

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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