New Treatment to Prevent Cancer Recurrence Shows Promise in Study Feb 24, 2010
They found that the cells formed tumors that grew and spread as in humans, and radiation therapy (in doses similar to those used in humans) caused the tumors to regress temporarily but then recur ... Finally, they confirmed that glioblastoma tissue from 12 human patients who had undergone radiation therapy contained significantly higher levels of bone-marrow-derived cells than did samples from the same patients obtained prior to radiation. (Science Daily)
Testicular Cancer Survivors May Have Hormone Deficiency Feb 24, 2010
About 15 percent of male cancer survivors experience testosterone deficiency, which is a late side effect of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In this study of 176 young male cancer survivors and 213 young men without cancer, English researchers looked at the association between testosterone levels, quality of life, self-esteem, fatigue and sexual function. (MEDLINEplus)
Testosterone deficiency affects male cancer survivors' quality of life Feb 22, 2010
ATLANTA--A new study has found that many male cancer survivors who develop testosterone deficiency after receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy have an impaired quality of life and reduced energy levels ... Testosterone deficiency is a late side effect of radiation therapy and chemotherapy that occurs in approximately 15 percent of male cancer survivors. (EurekAlert!)
Hemorrhage of brain metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer post gefitinib therapy: two case reports and review of the literature Feb 21, 2010
The hemorrhage in one case occurred one month after gefitinib combined with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), and in the another case hemorrhage developed slowly within brain metastases eight months post gefitinib monotherapy for diffuse pulmonary metastasis from a lung cancer undergone surgical removal previously. Conclusion. (BioMed Central)
College proposes radiation therapy degree Feb 20, 2010
wants to roll out a bachelor s degree program for radiation therapy ... A private nonprofit with a large local presence, National University would offer radiation therapy in Sacramento, Costa Mesa and San Diego, if state regulators sign off on the plan ... We are lacking in training programs out in the West, said Bob Silva, manager of radiation therapy at. (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)
New cancer center approved Mary Washington Hospital has received state permission to build a second cancer center. Feb 19, 2010
" WHERE: In a new building at the traffic circle on the southern end of the hospital property, adjacent to a women's services building now under construction WHEN: Scheduled to open in summer 2011 WHAT: Radiation therapy for cancerous tumors, including a new service, stereo-tactic radiosurgery COST: $11 million Read more stories about Date published: 2/19/2010 What do you think? Enter your FredTalk username and password to post a comment on this story. If you are registered on FredTalk or... (Fredericksburg.com, VA)
Pistons' CEO resigns Feb 18, 2010
" Clearly, Karl is gearing up for the fight of his life and has already begun chemotherapy and radiation therapy to combat the insidious disease. "The treatment began (Tuesday), and in general it's about a six-week treatment," Karl said. Saari, meanwhile, explained just how tough it will be, noting that the current treatments will likely be much harder in the final two weeks than it is in the initial four weeks. "We found a large lump about two inches in diameter (on his neck)," Dr. Saari said.... (ABC 7 News, DC)
Fight of his life Feb 17, 2010
Then, he said, The idea is to really hit it hard with radiation therapy. . (MSNBC -- Sports)
Childhood Cancer Survivors at Increased Heart Risk Feb 12, 2010
For two decades, de Vathaire and colleagues note, doctors have known that radiation therapy and chemotherapy may up the risk that childhood cancer survivors will develop another cancer later on. And while studies have suggested a link between radiation and heart disease, they add, no researchers have looked at the association between specific radiation dose and risk. (MEDLINEplus)
Short-Term Radiation Therapy Successful on Breast Cancer Feb 12, 2010
11, 2010) An intense three-week course of radiation therapy is just as effective as the standard five-week regimen for women with early-stage breast cancer ... Typically, this means they first have a lumpectomy to remove the cancer followed by a course of radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells ... 2 percent of patients treated with the accelerated radiation therapy, compared to 6. (Science Daily)
Predicting Prognosis and Treatment Response in a Subset of Pancreatic Cancer Patients Feb 12, 2010
The tissues used in the study came from a 195- patient cohort enrolled in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 9704 trial, a multi-center, phase III study of pancreatic cancer comparing adjuvant Gemcitabine with 5-FU, and a separate, 140-patient cohort of patients with stage I or II pancreatic cancer from UCLA. ... The study was funded through grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Translational Research Program, the... (Science Daily)
Using Nitroglycerin to Treat Prostate Cancer Shows Potential to Halt Disease Feb 12, 2010
2, 2009) Men who receive a "boost" of proton therapy after receiving a standard course of X-ray radiation therapy have fewer prostate cancer recurrences compared to men who did not receive the extra dose of ... 16, 2009) Preliminary results show that a shortened course of radiation therapy for prostate cancer called stereotactic body radiation therapy provides good PSA response for early stage prostate cancer and has. (Science Daily)
Moffitt financials improve Feb 12, 2010
5 million in the prior year, primarily due to Moffitt s ability to capitalize on an expansion that added 44 beds as well as radiation therapy and lab space, the report said. Improvements to the discharge process lowered lengths of stay. (Tampa Bay Business Journal, FL)
Imaging manufacturers: Plan to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure and medical errors Feb 12, 2010
8 principles address CT and radiation therapy. Washington, D.C. The Medical Imaging ology Alliance (MITA), the leading association representing the manufacturers, innovators and developers of medical imaging and radiation therapy systems, today endorsed eight key principles to reduce exposure to unnecessary medical radiation, further minimize medical errors and improve reporting of adverse events ... Adopting a standardized method of storing of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Cervical Cancer: Regiment With New Drug Triapine Provides Both Significant Reduction in Cancer Disease and Cancer Control Feb 11, 2010
In the study, patients were treated three times weekly with Triapine in combination with weekly cisplatin treatment and daily pelvic radiation therapy over five weeks ... 9, 2006) Administering extended-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for cervical cancer resulted in significantly reduced side effects and outcomes comparable to standard radiotherapy. (Science Daily)
Long-Term Results of Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer Feb 11, 2010
Timothy J. Whelan, B.M., B.Ch. Jean-Philippe Pignol, M.D., Mark N. Levine, M.D., Jim A. Julian, Ph. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Lower detection of prostate cancer with PSA screening in US than in a European randomized trial Feb 9, 2010
Also, the rates of radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy among men aged 55-69 years would need to increase by 50% to achieve the mortality reduction noted in the ERSPC trial. "The consequences of such large increases in surgery and radiation are sobering," he writes. (EurekAlert!)
Mesothelioma Treatment Options and ... Feb 6, 2010
Radiation therapy can help ease the pain of cancer sufferers. It can also help to destroy cancer cells and keep them from spreading. (Suite101.com)
Curing More Cervical Cancer Cases May Be in the Math Feb 5, 2010
The study, published in the journal Cancer Research, uses MRI scans and outcome information from 80 cervical cancer patients receiving a standard course of radiation therapy designed to cure their cancer. "The model enables us to better interpret clinical data and predict treatment outcomes for individual patients," says principal investigator Jian Z. Wang, assistant professor of radiation medicine and a radiation physicist at the OSUCCC-James. (Science Daily)
ASTRO, ACR issue IGRT, SBRT guidelines Feb 5, 2010
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) have released practice guidelines for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in the February issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO. ... SBRT is a type of external beam radiation therapy that can be completed in one to five days rather than several weeks and is most commonly used for small... (EurekAlert!)
Savannah aims to link businesses Feb 3, 2010
3DRTT, a three-dimensional simulation for clinical radiation therapy. With unemployment in double digits, job losses continuing and both consumer and company spending anemic, it might seem like a bad time to start projects, but this is actually a time of opportunity when smart entrepreneurs get a toehold on new markets and a leg up on competitors, Williams said. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Business)
Understanding Leukemia Jan 30, 2010
Some patients also may have radiation therapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, or interferorn therapy. What is Interferon Therapy. (Suite101.com)
AAPM statement on quality radiation therapy Jan 30, 2010
College Park, MD (January 28, 2010) -- The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has issued a statement today in the wake of several recent articles in the New York Times yesterday and earlier in the week that discuss a number of rare but tragic events in the last decade involving people undergoing radiation therapy ... Today's statement also seeks to reassure the public on the safety of radiation therapy, which is safely and effectively used to treat hundreds of thousands of... (EurekAlert!)
Moffitt wants to lease TIA building once slated for demolition Jan 29, 2010
Moffitt, a National Cancer Institute-designated center, plans to offer outpatient oncology services, including radiation therapy, infusion services and radiology at the 4101 Jim Walter Blvd. location. Moffitt made the lease offer through commercial real estate broker Jones Lang LaSalle. (Tampa Bay Business Journal, FL)
A lifesaving tool that can have deadly consequences Jan 25, 2010
The average lifetime dose of diagnostic radiation has increased sevenfold since 1980, and more than half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy. Without a doubt, radiation saves countless lives, and serious accidents are rare. (Albany Times Union)
NYT: High-tech radiation treatments can turn deadly Jan 25, 2010
For his treatment, he chose St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, which was promoting a new linear accelerator and a treatment called Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, which could more precisely shape and modulate the radiation beam ... While the worst accidents can be devastating, most radiation therapy is very good, Dr. Mettler said ... And while there are accidents, you wouldnt want to scare people to death where they dont get needed radiation therapy. (MSNBC -- Health)
Cervical Cancer: Combined Drug and Radiotherapy Improves Survival Jan 24, 2010
9, 2006) Administering extended-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for cervical cancer resulted in significantly reduced side effects and outcomes comparable to standard radiotherapy. In the. (Science Daily)
Radiation is a lifesaving tool that sometimes turns deadly Jan 24, 2010
The average lifetime dose of diagnostic radiation has increased sevenfold since 1980, and more than half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy ... While the worst accidents can be devastating, most radiation therapy is very good, Mettler said ... And while there are accidents, you wouldn t want to scare people to death where they don t get needed radiation therapy. (Boston Globe)
Combination Therapy May Be Effective Against Some Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers Jan 23, 2010
2, 2007) Combining radiation therapy with a drug that helps destroy blood vessels nourishing malignant tumors has been shown in mice to be significantly more effective in treating lung cancer than either. (Jan. (Science Daily)
Radiation, suspected of overuse by MIMA, safe but expensive Jan 22, 2010
Cancer patients routinely treated with high-tech radiation therapy instead of conventional radiation are unlikely to suffer harm, said the clinical director of radiation oncology at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa ... At Moffitt, which treats many of the most complex cancer cases in Florida, Harris said about 40 percent of patients undergo a type of high-tech radiation therapy that enables doctors to deliver a more precise radiation dose to a tumor while sparing nearby healthy cells ...... (Florida Today)
Leukaemia cell breakthrough hope Jan 22, 2010
About a fifth of children suffer relapses after radiation therapy. In the tests, the team found that 99% of cells in the thymus, a small organ in the upper chest which helps protect people from infections and as a result plays a key role in leukaemia, were killed by radiation. (BBC News -- Health)
ASRT, others donate to Haiti relief Jan 16, 2010
represents health care professionals who perform medical imaging examinations, and plan and deliver radiation therapy treatments. The group has also been contacted by radiologic technologists who wish to volunteer their services as health care workers in Haiti. (New Mexico Business Weekly, NM)
Race, Obesity Affect Outcomes Among Diabetics Following Prostatectomy Jan 15, 2010
2, 2007) An analysis of data involving more than 2,000 patients from 17 US institutions demonstrates that men with high-risk prostate cancer who receive radiation therapy after a prostatectomy were less. (Mar. (Science Daily)
Breast Cancer Multigene Test Helping Patients Avoid Chemotherapy Jan 13, 2010
5, 2006) Giving radiation therapy and chemotherapy at the same time after a lumpectomy helps keep breast cancer from returning locally, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of the International. (June 5, 2007) A new prospective study shows a 21-gene test of a patient's breast cancer tumor may change doctor and patient treatment decisions, including the need for. (Science Daily)
Similar Effectiveness Among Options for Managing Low-Risk Prostate Cancer, Report Suggests Jan 12, 2010
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and proton therapy, two forms of external radiation therapy ... 27, 2008) Magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients about to undergo radiation therapy for prostate cancer can help predict the likelihood that the cancer will return and spread post-treatment, according. (Science Daily)
Long-Term Effects of Testicular Cancer Chemo Seen Jan 10, 2010
They also found that men who were treated with radiation therapy were much more apt to report numbness or tingling in the hands or feet than men who did not receive radiation therapy. Studying the common chemotherapy drug cisplatin, the researchers found that the men who had the most severe symptoms years later were the ones who had received high-dose treatment with this drug, or had received five or more cycles of the drug. (MEDLINEplus)
Breast Cancer May Be Gone, but Pain Lingers Jan 10, 2010
Those having radiation therapy were more likely to have pain than those who had chemotherapy ... "There are multiple mechanisms to explain the risk of chronic pain," Kehlet said, "such as young age, risk of nerve damage during axillary dissection, radiation therapy or a general pain hyper-responsiveness in some patients.". (MEDLINEplus)
Dense Breasts Raise Risk of Cancer Recurrence Jan 10, 2010
Study didn't answer question of why this is so, however. Monday, November 9, 2009. (MEDLINEplus)
Shorter, More Intense Radiation OK for Some Breast Cancers Jan 10, 2010
Researchers previously have tried to investigate whether they can alter the duration of radiation therapy or the volume, Chadha said. "My study focuses on the duration of it," she said. (MEDLINEplus)
Radiation Treatments Made Safer for Cancer Patients Jan 10, 2010
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers say they may have found a way to protect healthy tissue and also increase tumor death when cancer patients undergo radiation therapy. The key is a biochemical signaling pathway that can influence how radiation exposure affects both healthy and cancerous cells. (MEDLINEplus)
Hormone Therapy Can Help Some with Prostate Cancer Jan 10, 2010
MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A brief course of hormone-blocking therapy can provide small benefits to a specific group of men who get radiation therapy for prostate cancer, a long-running study shows. Ten-year survival was 62 percent in men with cancers graded as intermediate risk who got treatment that blocked their male hormone activity in addition to radiation therapy, compared to 57 percent of those who got radiation therapy alone, said Dr. Christopher U. Jones, a radiation oncologist... (MEDLINEplus)
Thyroid Cancer a Risk After Childhood Cancer Jan 10, 2010
Forty-four patients (88 percent) who developed thyroid cancer had received radiation therapy in or around the thyroid gland. Patients treated radiation therapy for childhood cancer had a greater than fourfold increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, the researchers found. (MEDLINEplus)
Prostate Hormone Therapy May Up Heart Risks Jan 10, 2010
Hormone deprivation therapy is started, Keating said, when levels of cancer-associated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increase after surgery or radiation therapy, but there are no other indicators of danger ... Similarly, Keating said, no trial has shown an overall benefit for androgen deprivation therapy in cases where "watchful waiting" is chosen rather than radiation therapy or surgery for prostate cancer, Keating said. (MEDLINEplus)
After Lumpectomy, Radiation Rates Lower for Black Women Jan 10, 2010
MONDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds a significant racial disparity in breast cancer treatment: Black women are less likely than their white counterparts to receive radiation therapy after a lumpectomy ... "Although there have been smaller studies of racial disparities in breast cancer care, no prior research has examined the differences across the nation in the rates of radiation therapy after lumpectomy between whites and blacks," study first author Dr. Grace Li Smith, a... (MEDLINEplus)
