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.

Use of IMRT for prostate cancer doubles when self-referral's financial incentives involved

A comprehensive review of Medicare claims for more than 45,000 patients from 2005 through 2010 found that nearly all of the 146 percent increase in intensity-modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer among urologists with an ownership interest in the treatment was due to self-referral, according to new research, "Urologists' Use of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer," released today in The New England Journal of Medicine for its October 24, 2013 issue.

25 Oct 2013

Temple University surgeons use CVHP Scalpel to remove inoperable metastatic Stage 4 Breast cancer

On September 18, 2013, a surgical team at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa., performed a groundbreaking procedure on a patient who had previously been diagnosed with inoperable metastatic Stage 4 Breast cancer, using the Canady Vieira Hybrid Plasma Scalpel developed and sold by US Medical Innovations, LLC.

25 Oct 2013

HM Hospitales expects to treat first patients with Elekta's Versa HD system in 2015

HM Hospitales, a private hospital group in Spain, anticipates treating its first patients with Elekta's Versa HD™ system in 2015. Versa HD, to be sited in the group's sixth hospital, is an advanced radiation treatment system designed to enhance the management of cancer care and treat a broad spectrum of tumors throughout the body.

From Elekta 24 Oct 2013

Metformin could serve as radiosensitizer to treat patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer

Treating aggressive lung cancer with the diabetes drug metformin along with radiation and chemotherapy may slow tumor growth and recurrence, suggests new preliminary findings from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania being presented during an oral abstract session October 28 at the 15th World Conference on Lung Cancer.

24 Oct 2013

Nanopharmaceutical drug shows promise for cancers that resist antiangiogenic drugs

The nanopharmaceutical drug CRLX101 is showing promise as a potential new treatment for cancers that develop resistance to antiangiogenic drugs and radiation therapy, according to clinical trial results presented here at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, held Oct. 19 - 23.

22 Oct 2013

New England publishes results of phase III clinical trial of ABRAXANE for metastatic pancreatic cancer

Celgene International Sàrl, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Celgene Corporation , today announced the results of the MPACT phase III clinical trial of ABRAXANE® in combination with gemcitabine were published online in the October 16th edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

17 Oct 2013

Common catalyst cerium oxide opens door to nanochemistry for medicine

Scientists at Rice University are enhancing the natural antioxidant properties of an element found in a car's catalytic converter to make it useful for medical applications.

16 Oct 2013

Crown Bioscience enters into collaboration with Xstrahl for radiation biology research

Crown Bioscience, Inc., a leading global drug discovery and development service company, today announces that it has entered into a collaboration with Xstrahl Ltd, a leading designer and manufacturer of X-Ray solutions for radiation biology research.

From Xstrahl 15 Oct 2013

DIM compound derived from cruciferous vegetable protects rodents from radiation doses

Georgetown University Medical Center researchers say a compound derived from cruciferous vegetable such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli protected rats and mice from lethal doses of radiation.

15 Oct 2013

FDA approves OTREXUP injection for adults with RA, children with active pJIA

Antares Pharma, Inc. today announced the approval of OTREXUP (methotrexate) injection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. OTREXUP is the first FDA approved subcutaneous methotrexate for once weekly self-administration with an easy-to-use, single dose, disposable auto injector.

14 Oct 2013

DePuy Synthes Spine expands collaboration with Brainlab

DePuy Synthes Spine announced it is expanding its collaboration with Brainlab through the worldwide launch of navigation-ready instrumentation for its leading spine systems, and an exclusive global agreement to co-market Airo Mobile Intraoperative CT by Brainlab.

11 Oct 2013

Gemcitabine drug improves survival rates in patients with pancreatic cancer

Among patients with pancreatic cancer who had surgery for removal of the cancer, treatment with the drug gemcitabine for 6 months resulted in increased overall survival as well as disease-free survival, compared with observation alone, according to a study in the October 9 issue of JAMA.

9 Oct 2013

Clinical study to determine sentinel lymph node surgery in patients with breast cancer

Judy C. Boughey, M.D., Kelly K. Hunt, M.D., and colleagues for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology conducted a study to determine the false-negative rate of sentinel lymph node surgery in patients with node-positive breast cancer receiving chemotherapy before surgery.

8 Oct 2013

PET scan shows promise in predicting patients with inoperable lung cancer

Advanced imaging with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan shows great promise in predicting which patients with inoperable lung cancer have more aggressive tumors and need additional treatment following standard chemotherapy/radiation therapy, according to new research recently published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

8 Oct 2013

New biomarker for pancreatic cancer effectively targets potential therapy for small survival rate

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered a biomarker, known as phosphatidylserine (PS), for pancreatic cancer that could be effectively targeted, creating a potential therapy for a condition that has a small survival rate.

5 Oct 2013

Hypertension Drug May Aid Cancer Treatment

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2 Oct 2013

Esteya system for high precision skin cancer treatment gets FDA clearance

Esteya, an electronic brachytherapy system, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, enabling medical centers in the United States to offer their patients with skin cancer a new treatment option.

From Elekta 2 Oct 2013

Nia exercise benefits individuals with breast cancer

Researchers from ProMedica Cancer Institute have released new findings about the benefits of Nia exercise for individuals with breast cancer. Nia is a sensory-based movement practice that heals the body using music and movement.

2 Oct 2013

Genomic instability in CFS is associated with less favorable outcome in patients with CaP

Detailed evaluation of a prostate cancer tumor biopsy may predict treatment outcomes for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) or surgery for prostate cancer, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 55th Annual Meeting.

27 Sep 2013

Use of feeding tubes in OPC cancer patients treated with IMPT decreased by 50%

A new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center found that the use of feeding tubes in oropharyngeal carcinoma cancer patients treated with intensity modulated proton therapy decreased by more than 50 percent compared to patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy.

26 Sep 2013