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.

New optical microscope identifies rare breast cancer cells

The ability to distinguish and isolate rare cells from among a large population of assorted cells has become increasingly important for the early detection of disease and for monitoring disease treatments.

7 Jul 2012

NewYork-Presbyterian/WCMC first in N.Y. City to offer INTRABEAM radiotherapy

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the first and only hospital in the five boroughs of New York City to offer women with early stage breast cancer INTRABEAM radiotherapy, an innovative radiation treatment delivered in a single dose at the time of surgery.

6 Jul 2012

The Center for Cancer Support and Education in Arlington to receive $10,000 ASTRO grant

As part of an initiative to give back to cancer communities in the cities visited during its annual scientific meetings, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is recognizing The Center for Cancer Support and Education (The Center) in Arlington, Mass., for its efforts to empower and support people touched by cancer, their caregivers and loved ones.

6 Jul 2012

Single dose breast cancer treatment helps forego 6-7 week radiation regimen

5 Jul 2012

EMR improves physicians' compliance with portal image review

The use of an electronic medical record (EMR) for reviewing portal images dramatically improves compliance with timeliness and record keeping, according to a study in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

3 Jul 2012

Prostate cancer patients with CVD are 52% more likely to regret their treatment choices

Prostate cancer patients with cardiovascular disease were 52 per cent more likely to regret their treatment choices than men without problems with their heart or veins, according to a study published in the July issue of the urology journal BJUI International.

3 Jul 2012

SAMFund, ASTRO partner to raise awareness of cancer survivorship issues

As part of an initiative to give back to the cancer communities in the cities visited during its annual scientific meetings, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is partnering with the Surviving And Moving Forward: The SAMFund for Young Adult Survivors of Cancer to raise awareness of cancer survivorship issues.

3 Jul 2012

Prostate Cancer Center of New Jersey earns ACR-ASTRO accreditation in radiation oncology

The Prostate Cancer Center of New Jersey, a partnership between AKSM/Oncology and the Urology Group of New Jersey (UGNJ), is the latest in a rapidly growing list of prostate-only treatment centers to earn the high honor of a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology.

2 Jul 2012

Sosei completes SO-1105 Phase I trial for oropharyngeal candidiasis in Japan

Sosei Group Corporation, the biopharmaceutical company, today announces that its wholly owned Japanese subsidiary, Sosei Co., Ltd., has successfully completed a Japanese Phase I trial for SO-1105 for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis.

2 Jul 2012

Blocking AXL protein may prevent resistance to lung cancer drug

People with lung cancer who are treated with the drug Tarceva face a daunting uncertainty: although their tumors may initially shrink, it's not a question of whether their cancer will return—it's a question of when. And for far too many, it happens far too soon.

2 Jul 2012

Shorter regimen of radiotherapy safe for noninvasive breast cancer patients

Accelerated whole breast irradiation after lumpectomy is an effective treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a very common early stage and noninvasive form of breast cancer, meaning many more breast cancer patients could see their treatment times reduced by half, according to a study in the June issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics, the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

30 Jun 2012

ACR updates 39 appropriateness criteria topics and adds five new criteria

New and updated evidence-based guidelines to help health care providers choose the most appropriate medical imaging exam or radiation therapy for a patient's clinical condition are now available via the latest version of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria.

29 Jun 2012

New medical countermeasures against nuclear threats

Concerns about terrorist attacks, the prospect of a rogue nation using nuclear weapons and the Fukushima power plant accident in Japan are fostering efforts to develop a new family of drugs that everyone hopes will never be used, according to an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

28 Jun 2012

Pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma can be treated without radiation and intensive chemotherapy

A multicenter trial showed that nearly half of young patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured without undergoing either irradiation or intensive chemotherapy that would leave them at risk for second cancers, infertility, heart and other problems later.

28 Jun 2012

Combination of radiation therapies effectively treat prostate cancer, lower chances of recurrence

A recent Phase I/II clinical trial has shown that a new combination of radiation therapies developed at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center escalates radiation doses to safely and effectively treat prostate cancer and lower the risk of recurrence with minimal radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue and organs.

27 Jun 2012

Astellas submits enzalutamide MAA with EMA for treatment of CRPC

Today, Astellas Pharma Inc. announces the submission of a European marketing authorisation application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for enzalutamide for the treatment of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have been previously treated with docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

27 Jun 2012

CCI, NextBio partner to adopt genomics in the clinic

NextBio and Cancer Care Institute (CCI) announced today a strategic partnership aimed at furthering the adoption of genomics in the clinic. The collaboration will facilitate use of the NextBio platform to interpret genomic molecular data for oncology patients and streamline the complete workflow for use of molecular data in a clinical setting.

26 Jun 2012

Cedars-Sinai educational conference to focus on patient empowerment

Brain tumor patients, families and caregivers are invited to an educational conference that will focus on patient empowerment June 23 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

23 Jun 2012

Aeterna Zentaris announces perifosine Phase 1 trial on neuroblastoma

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that Phase 1 trial results for its oral PI3K/Akt inhibitor, perifosine, showed the drug's activity against chemo-resistant and radio-resistant neuroblastoma, while allowing good quality of life and sparing vital organs. Neuroblastoma is a type of childhood cancer which usually begins in nerve tissues.

22 Jun 2012

Value of pathology review highlighted in node-negative breast cancer

Secondary pathology review results in significant changes in diagnosis and treatment for women with node-negative breast cancer, Canadian researchers report.

20 Jun 2012