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.

PSA failure linked to increased risk of death among healthy men

A new study by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital has found that a rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in healthy men who have previously been treated for prostate cancer is significantly associated with a 1.6-fold increased risk of death.

6 Sep 2016

Research findings could lead to new biomarker for early stages of tumor development

To treat or not to treat? That is the question researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory hope to answer with a new advance that could help doctors and their cancer patients decide if a particular therapy would be worth pursuing.

31 Aug 2016

Scripps collaborates with MD Anderson for clinically integrated cancer care program

Scripps Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have reached a partnership agreement to create Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center, a comprehensive and clinically integrated cancer care program in San Diego that will provide adult cancer patients greater access to the most advanced oncology care available throughout Southern California.

29 Aug 2016

NIBIB researchers develop nanovaccine to enhance cancer immunotherapy

NIBIB researchers have created a nanovaccine that could make a current approach to cancer immunotherapy more effective while also reducing side effects.

25 Aug 2016

Lack of insurance may increase risk of death in men with testicular cancer, study finds

Men with testicular cancer who were uninsured or on Medicaid had a higher risk of death from what is normally a curable disease than insured patients, a new study found.

8 Aug 2016

Studies show insurance status may impact patients' health outcomes following cancer diagnosis

Two new studies indicate that health insurance status may impact patients' health outcomes following a diagnosis of cancer.

8 Aug 2016

Scientists develop novel multifunctional platform to integrate imaging and photo-induced cancer therapy

Physicists from The University of Texas at Arlington are leading a multidisciplinary project with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to develop a new multifunctional platform that can integrate imaging and photo-induced cancer therapy in a single, portable device.

5 Aug 2016

African-American men treated with ADT for prostate cancer suffer from high mortality rates

In a retrospective study analyzing patients' medical records, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital found that patients' race significantly affected their longevity by increasing the likelihood of death after receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

5 Aug 2016

Researchers develop method to kill cancer cells using nanoparticles and lasers

Cancer treatments based on laser irridation of tiny nanoparticles that are injected directly into the cancer tumor are working and can destroy the cancer from within.

4 Aug 2016

Triple-combination therapy patch shrinks tumors, prevents recurrence in colon cancer mice model

Investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a hydrogel patch that can adhere to tumors in a preclinical model of colon cancer, delivering a local, combination treatment as the elastic gel breaks down over time.

29 Jul 2016

Focused therapy may be effective, less toxic way to treat brain tumors

Physicians from Carolinas HealthCare System's Neurosciences Institute and Levine Cancer Institute are among the authors of a study that was accepted for publication by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, released on July 26, 2016, shows that patients with the most common form of brain tumor can be treated in an effective and substantially less toxic way by omitting a widely used portion of radiation therapy.

27 Jul 2016

Stereotactic radiosurgery could be more effective for patients with few metastatic brain tumors

Patients with three or fewer metastatic brain tumors who received treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) had less cognitive deterioration three months after treatment than patients who received SRS combined with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT).

26 Jul 2016

Superficial radiotherapy e-learning portal launched by Xstrahl

Xstrahl officially launch the Xstra Learning Portal, an online educational platform providing an invaluable source of information for all clinical personnel treating patients using superficial radiotherapy. The website, formerly known as STEP, was created by leading clinical professionals and Xstrahl, a world leader in radiation therapy.

From Xstrahl 22 Jul 2016

ASTRO clinical practice statement outlines recommendations to customize treatment for rectal cancer

The American Society for Radiation Oncology recently issued a new clinical practice statement, "Appropriate Customization of Radiation Therapy for Stage II and III Rectal Cancer: An ASTRO Clinical Practice Statement Using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method."

21 Jul 2016

ASTRO honors Ms. Keresztes with 2016 Survivor Circle Award

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has chosen Theresa A. Keresztes, a resident of Wellesley, Massachusetts, to receive the 2016 Survivor Circle Award.

20 Jul 2016

Women who undergo axillary node surgery for breast cancer more likely to develop chronic pain

An analysis led by McMaster University researchers has found that women who undergo armpit lymph node surgery for breast cancer are much more likely to develop chronic pain.

11 Jul 2016

Researchers suggest shorter HF-WBI course as preferred option for early-stage breast cancer patients

Early-stage breast cancer patients receiving a shorter course of whole breast radiation with higher radiation doses per fraction reported equivalent cosmetic, functional and pain outcomes over time as those receiving a longer, lower-dose per fraction course of treatment, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

16 Jun 2016

Veterinarian conducts clinical trials to improve cancer treatment for animals, humans

Raelene Wouda's passion for improving cancer treatment starts with our four-legged friends.

15 Jun 2016

Study opens up new strategy to make immunotherapy more effective for different cancer types

By combining local radiation therapy and anti-cancer vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors, researchers from the University of Chicago, working with mice, were able to increase the response rate for these new immunotherapy agents.

14 Jun 2016

LA-NSCLC patients treated at high-volume centers survive longer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and is estimated to have contributed to 221,200 new cases and 158,040 deaths in 2015 alone. A secondary analysis of NRG Oncology's clinical trial RTOG 0617, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, was initiated in an effort to evaluate the effect of institution accrual volume on clinical outcomes among patients receiving chemoradiation for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC).

8 Jun 2016