radiation therapy

Radiotherapy Promises Targeted Cancer Treatment

harminka — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:46:37 -0500

Current radiotherapy treatment damages a patient's healthy tissue as well as eradicating the tumour it is intended to destroy, making the treatment especially invasive and often causing nasty side effects.

High-dose radiation improves lung cancer survival

harminka — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:57:06 -0500

Higher doses of radiation combined with chemotherapy improve survival in patients with stage III lung cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Radiation therapy treatments can decrease fertility

harminka — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:17:06 -0500

In female cancer patients of reproductive age, radiation treatment directly to the ovaries should be avoided because there is a direct relationship between certain types of radiation therapy and fertility problems, according to a review in the April 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

High dosage brachytherapy obtains excellent results in head and neck tumors

harminka — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:22:27 -0500

High-dosage perioperative brachytherapy (applied within the surgical process) obtains excellent results in the treatment of head and neck tumours, at the same time as reducing the period of radiation.

Angled gantry technique reduced breast radiation exposure by half

harminka — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:21:58 -0600

A novel angled gantry approach to coronary CT angiography reduced radiation exposure to the breast by more than 50%, according to Thomas Jefferson University researchers.

Delays in Radiation Therapy Lead to Increased Breast Cancer Recurrence

harminka — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:21:34 -0600

A new analysis of the National Cancer Institute's cancer registry has found that as many as one in five older women experience delayed or incomplete radiation treatment following breast-conserving surgery, and that this suboptimal care can lead to worse outcomes.

Preoperative radiation may improve survival rates in rectal cancer patients

harminka — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:20:22 -0600

Patients treated with radiation prior to surgery for advanced rectal cancer have fewer instances of cancer recurrence and better overall survival rates, according to a recent Geisinger report.

1-week radiation effective breast cancer treatment

harminka — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:16:56 -0500

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using a type of radiation seed implants called balloon brachytherapy, a newer type of radiation treatment that offers more convenience to early-stage breast cancer patients by shortening radiation therapy from the standard six to seven weeks of treatment to only one week, is as effective in keeping breast cancer from coming back as the standard external beam radiation treatment.

3-week radiation therapy as effective as 5 weeks for early-stage breast cancer

harminka — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:36:39 -0500

Early-stage breast cancer patients who receive a more intensive course of radiation to their whole breast over three weeks is as effective as the standard, less intensive five-week whole breast radiation and offers patients more convenience at a lower cost, thereby providing a better quality of life, according to a randomized, long-term study presented September 22, 2008, in the plenary session at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.

Breast cancer patients facing radiation after mastectomy may be over-treated

harminka — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:31:04 -0500

A new study suggests standard radiation therapy for some breast cancer patients may not be medically required and may, therefore, be causing unnecessary serious side effects such as lymphedema and pulmonary problems. The research conducted at Fox Chase Cancer Center involved women who got a mastectomy, but whose lymph nodes were negative.

Breast MRI scan could determine need for radiation therapy

harminka — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:05:12 -0500

For women whose breast cancer has spread to their lymph nodes, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan could replace exploratory surgery as the method for determining whether those women need radiation therapy to treat their disease, according to a study to be presented during the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) which opens today in Boston.

Innovative technique may allow real-time imaging for proton therapy

harminka — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:32:36 -0500

One of the most effective means of treating cancers is via radiation therapy. However, ionization and its by-products damage both the cancer and normal cells.