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.

Anxiety after prostate cancer diagnosis may motivate men to choose aggressive treatment, study reports

The anxiety many men experience after being diagnosed with prostate cancer may lead them to choose potentially unnecessary treatment options, researchers from the University at Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute report in a new study.

11 Jan 2017

Yale study highlights treatment burden experienced by older lung cancer patients

Depending on the type of treatment older lung cancer patients receive, they can spend an average of one in three days interacting with the healthcare system in the first 60 days after surgery or radiation therapy, according to a study by Yale researchers.

6 Jan 2017

Study shows promising results for treating lymphoma patients with immune cell therapy

Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer. The disease occurs when immune cells called lymphocytes multiply uncontrollably. Cancerous lymphocytes can travel throughout the body and form lymph node tumors.

6 Jan 2017

Yoga during active treatment can provide QOL benefits for pediatric cancer patients and parents

A yoga program for children with cancer can be carried out even during cancer treatment, and has quality of life (QOL) benefits for the children as well as their parents, suggests a study in Rehabilitation Oncology, official journal of the Oncology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association.

5 Jan 2017

APEx accreditation for Northeast Radiation Oncology Center

Northeast Pennsylvanians often think that excellent cancer care is found strictly in larger cities. However, that perception was recently disproved by Scranton's own Northeast Radiation Oncology Center (NROC).

29 Dec 2016

UCLA-led research finds promising results for more personalized head and neck cancer treatment

Researchers have found that people with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and the KRAS-variant inherited genetic mutation have significantly improved survival when given a short course of the drug cetuximab in combination with standard chemotherapy and radiation.

23 Dec 2016

Study reveals impact of histology on SBRT treatment in early-stage NSCLC patients

Early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) have a significantly higher rate of local failure after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) than other NSCLC histological subtypes.

23 Dec 2016

Novel genomics model allows personalized approach to radiation therapy

Cancer therapeutics is currently in the era of precision medicine - personalized medicine for individual patients based on their tumor biology.

20 Dec 2016

Study examines health care costs linked to lumpectomy patients requiring reoperations

The number of breast cancer patients that have to be reoperated on in Canada is too high and impacts patient wellbeing and health care costs, according to UBC research.

16 Dec 2016

Image-guided percutaneous needle biopsies after NST identify breast cancer patients who achieve pCR

In a pilot study conducted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, image-guided biopsies identified select breast cancer patients who achieved pathologic complete response (pCR) after chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy, neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST).

9 Dec 2016

Jets of plasma used in arc welding may help kill cancer cells and heal wounds

JETS of plasma traditionally used in arc welding could soon be used to kill cancer cells and heal wounds.

9 Dec 2016

Proton Partners acquires Blue Phantom2 data acquisition system to support innovative cancer treatment

The first ever Proton Partners International site, specialising in proton beam therapy, has acquired a Blue Phantom2 data acquisition system from IBA to commission its IBA Proteus ONE compact proton therapy machine and Elekta Versa HD linear accelerator.

9 Dec 2016

Implant reconstruction after radiation leads to complications, less satisfaction in breast cancer patients

Many breast cancer patients who have a mastectomy will consider breast reconstruction. But for a portion of these women, radiation therapy is also recommended - and that can alter the tissue around the breast, impacting reconstruction efforts.

9 Dec 2016

Scientists discover new biomarker to help determine aggressiveness of brain cancer

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found a new biomarker for glioma, a common type of brain cancer, that can help doctors determine how aggressive a cancer is and that could eventually help determine the best course of treatment.

6 Dec 2016

Metabolic pathway that shows potential to slow aging may drive brain cancer

While a particular metabolic pathway shows potential to slow down the aging process, new research indicates a downside: That same pathway may drive brain cancer.

6 Dec 2016

Clonal hematopoiesis may help predict cancer patients at risk for fatal form of leukemia

Patients successfully treated for breast, colon and other cancers can go on to develop an often-fatal form of leukemia, sometimes years after completion of treatment, due to a genetic mutation leading to secondary malignancies known as therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs).

4 Dec 2016

Researchers show how microRNAs play key role in tumor progression and response to radiation

OHSU researcher Sudarshan Anand, Ph.D., has a contemporary analogy to describe microRNA: "I sometimes compare MicroRNA to tweets -- they're short, transient and constantly changing."

2 Dec 2016

Researchers identify simple, inexpensive tool for assessing prognosis of pediatric brain tumors

A multi-institutional group of researchers, led by investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Michigan, have identified a simple and inexpensive tool for assessing the prognosis of pediatric brain tumors called ependymomas.

23 Nov 2016

New study identifies novel target for treatment of Graves' disease and other scarring eye conditions

A new class of therapies may be on the horizon for thyroid eye disease (TED) and other destructive scarring conditions.

11 Nov 2016

Second opinions may not reduce overtreatment in prostate cancer, study suggests

A new analysis indicates that many men with prostate cancer obtain second opinions from urologists before starting treatment, but surprisingly, second opinions are not associated with changes in treatment choice or improvements in perceived quality of prostate cancer care.

8 Nov 2016

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Anxiety after prostate cancer diagnosis may motivate men to choose aggressive treatment, study reports

Yale study highlights treatment burden experienced by older lung cancer patients

Study shows promising results for treating lymphoma patients with immune cell therapy

Yoga during active treatment can provide QOL benefits for pediatric cancer patients and parents

APEx accreditation for Northeast Radiation Oncology Center

UCLA-led research finds promising results for more personalized head and neck cancer treatment

Study reveals impact of histology on SBRT treatment in early-stage NSCLC patients

Novel genomics model allows personalized approach to radiation therapy

Study examines health care costs linked to lumpectomy patients requiring reoperations

Image-guided percutaneous needle biopsies after NST identify breast cancer patients who achieve pCR

Jets of plasma used in arc welding may help kill cancer cells and heal wounds

Proton Partners acquires Blue Phantom2 data acquisition system to support innovative cancer treatment

Implant reconstruction after radiation leads to complications, less satisfaction in breast cancer patients

Scientists discover new biomarker to help determine aggressiveness of brain cancer

Metabolic pathway that shows potential to slow aging may drive brain cancer

Clonal hematopoiesis may help predict cancer patients at risk for fatal form of leukemia

Researchers show how microRNAs play key role in tumor progression and response to radiation

Researchers identify simple, inexpensive tool for assessing prognosis of pediatric brain tumors

New study identifies novel target for treatment of Graves' disease and other scarring eye conditions

Second opinions may not reduce overtreatment in prostate cancer, study suggests

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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