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.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation therapy increases risk for subsequent mastectomy

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) brachytherapy, the localized form of radiation therapy growing increasingly popular as a treatment choice for women with early-stage breast cancer, is associated with higher rate of later mastectomy, increased radiation-related toxicities and post-operative complications, compared to traditional whole breast irradiation (WBI), according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

2 May 2012

AlderMed enters distribution agreement with Gulmay Medical for Xstrahl-100 therapy system

AlderMed announced today it has entered into a three-year exclusive distribution agreement with Gulmay Medical, manufacturer of the Xstrahl-100 therapy system.

From Xstrahl 30 Apr 2012

Accuray launches Prostate Advances in Comparative Evidence Study

Accuray Incorporated, the premier radiation oncology company, announced today the launch of the Prostate Advances in Comparative Evidence (PACE) Study, an international, multi-center, randomized study to compare CyberKnife® Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), da Vinci assisted and manual laparoscopic surgery and conventionally fractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), for the treatment of localized prostate cancer.

27 Apr 2012

Oregano ingredient could treat prostate cancer

Oregano, the common pizza and pasta seasoning herb, has long been known to possess a variety of beneficial health effects, but a new study by researchers at Long Island University (LIU) indicates that an ingredient of this spice could potentially be used to treat prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.

25 Apr 2012

OncoSec reports positive interim data from ElectroChemotherapy Phase IV head and neck cancer study

OncoSec Medical Inc., which is developing its advanced-stage OncoSec Medical System (OMS) ElectroOncology therapies to treat solid tumors, today announced positive interim analysis of data from 81 subjects in a Phase IV study of primary and locally recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) treated with OMS ElectroChemotherapy in Europe.

23 Apr 2012

RaySearch receives order for its RayStation treatment planning system from HUMC

RaySearch Laboratories has received an order for its RayStation treatment planning system from Hallym University Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea.

23 Apr 2012

Chemotherapy, radiation affect cognitive function of women with breast cancer

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida and University of Kentucky have found that breast cancer survivors who have had chemotherapy, radiation or both do not perform as well on some cognitive tests as women who have not had cancer.

21 Apr 2012

Surgeons not including radiation oncologists early enough in treatment decision-making processes

Surgeons are not always including radiation oncologists early enough in a patient's treatment decision-making process, leaving some patients uninformed of all of their treatment options and potentially leading to more mastectomies over breast-conserving therapy, according to a study in the April issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics, the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

19 Apr 2012

Developments in mesothelioma treatment presented at 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference

New results presented at 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland show important steps being made to improve the diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the outer lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure.

19 Apr 2012

IMRT facilitates radiation dose escalation without compromising long-term morbidity for prostate cancer

In an analysis of three different types of radiation therapy used to treat localized prostate cancer, compared with conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was associated with fewer diagnoses of gastrointestinal adverse effects, hip fractures, and receipt of additional cancer treatments but more erectile dysfunction, while proton therapy was associated with more gastrointestinal adverse effects than IMRT.

18 Apr 2012

IMRT better than CRT for treatment of localized prostate cancer

A treatment for localized prostate cancer known as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is better than conventional conformal radiation therapy (CRT) for reducing certain side effects and preventing cancer recurrence, according to a study published in the April 18, 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

18 Apr 2012

SBRT shortens radiation treatment time for gynecologic cancers

About 71,500 women in the United States are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center have developed a more effective way to treat gynecologic cancers, shortening radiation treatment time from five weeks to three days. The method will be published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) on April 17.

18 Apr 2012

New brain cancer vaccine with material from own tumors proves effective in clinical trial

A new brain cancer vaccine tailored to individual patients by using material from their own tumors has proven effective in a multicenter phase 2 clinical trial at extending their lives by several months or longer. The patients suffered from recurrent glioblastoma multiforme-which kills thousands of Americans every year.

18 Apr 2012

High intensity focused ultrasound to treat prostate cancer shows initial success

A new tumor treatment that involves heating it with highly focused ultrasound, may mean men with prostate tumors can be treated without an overnight stay in hospital and avoiding the distressing side effects associated with current therapies.

17 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Politics distorting views of the health system; US is more efficient than most people think

If health insurers can keep denying coverage to anyone, millions of Americans could be left to fend for themselves in a system that openly discriminates against the sick and leaves many destitute.

16 Apr 2012

Novian Health commences multicenter Novilase Interstitial Laser Therapy clinical trial for breast cancer

Novian Health, developer of Novilase Breast Therapy, announced the company has begun a multicenter clinical trial on the use of Novilase Interstitial Laser Therapy (ILT) for the destruction of malignant breast tumors.

12 Apr 2012

More than 60% of breast cancer survivors report post-treatment complications

More than 60 percent of breast cancer survivors report at least one treatment-related complication even six years after their diagnosis, according to a new study led by a researcher from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

10 Apr 2012

New dietary supplement may arrest, lower rising PSA in men with recurrent prostate cancer

Preliminary findings from an FDA-approved clinical trial indicate that the experimental dietary supplement Prostate Health Cocktail (PHC) may arrest and in some cases lower rising PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) in men with recurrent prostate cancer.

9 Apr 2012

Synapse Medical acquires another MicroThermX Microwave Ablation System

BSD Medical Corporation, a leading provider of medical systems that utilize heat therapy to treat cancer, announced today that the Company has sold an additional MicroThermX Microwave Ablation System to Synapse Medical Ltd.

9 Apr 2012

CPF proclaims September as 'Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month'

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) announced today the month of September 2012 will be proclaimed "Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month." In previous years, the CPF has celebrated "National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week" for one week each September, but expanding the time frame to a month will help achieve greater national awareness and fundraising in the race to find treatment and a cure.

7 Apr 2012

Radiation Therapy News and Research

Further Reading

Accelerated partial breast irradiation therapy increases risk for subsequent mastectomy

AlderMed enters distribution agreement with Gulmay Medical for Xstrahl-100 therapy system

Accuray launches Prostate Advances in Comparative Evidence Study

Oregano ingredient could treat prostate cancer

OncoSec reports positive interim data from ElectroChemotherapy Phase IV head and neck cancer study

RaySearch receives order for its RayStation treatment planning system from HUMC

Chemotherapy, radiation affect cognitive function of women with breast cancer

Surgeons not including radiation oncologists early enough in treatment decision-making processes

Developments in mesothelioma treatment presented at 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference

IMRT facilitates radiation dose escalation without compromising long-term morbidity for prostate cancer

IMRT better than CRT for treatment of localized prostate cancer

SBRT shortens radiation treatment time for gynecologic cancers

New brain cancer vaccine with material from own tumors proves effective in clinical trial

High intensity focused ultrasound to treat prostate cancer shows initial success

Viewpoints: Politics distorting views of the health system; US is more efficient than most people think

Novian Health commences multicenter Novilase Interstitial Laser Therapy clinical trial for breast cancer

More than 60% of breast cancer survivors report post-treatment complications

New dietary supplement may arrest, lower rising PSA in men with recurrent prostate cancer

Synapse Medical acquires another MicroThermX Microwave Ablation System

CPF proclaims September as 'Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month'

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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