Radiation Oncology

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to damage cancer cells' DNA and destroy their ability to divide and grow. It is delivered using linear accelerators, proton accelerators, metered cobalt-60 exposure, or brachytherapy where radioactive seeds are placed inside the patient on a temporary or permanent basis to kill cancer or relieve pain. The main radiation oncology society and annual conference is the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Imaging may be misleading when determining the success of cancer treatment
A new analysis calls into question the use of imaging alone to determine the efficacy of ablative radiation therapy.
Prostate cancer radiotherapy timeline can be safely shortened
Isodose moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy allows patients to undergo just 4-5 weeks of treatment, compared to conventional therapy that can take around 8.
Simple CT metric predicts treatment-induced kidney impairment in prostate cancer patients
Though effective, Lu-177 radioligland therapy is not without side effects, some of which can be severe.
Tiny 'water bears' may hold key to reducing radiation-induced side effects
These animals are virtually indestructible and have long outlived the dinosaurs due to their ability to withstand extreme cold, heat, natural disasters and even cosmic radiation.
Orano Med breaks ground on $265M thorium production site
The new 7,000-square-meter plant is located in France and will begin production of thorium-228, necessary for the development of isotopes used in cancer treatments.

District of Columbia DC congress capitol hill

CMS delays start of Radiation Oncology Alternative Payment Model yet again

The mandatory bundled payment initiative was slated to kick off Jan. 1, 2023, following numerous delays, but will now launch on a to-be-determined date.

MRI-guided radiotherapy for prostate cancer cuts treatment side effects in half

The team originally planned to enroll 300 men in the study, but the decisive results seen among the first 100 patients prompted them to cut enrollment in half.

Deep learning decreases CT radiation dose by 65% in patients with liver metastases

Scans using a smaller dose were accurate when detecting lesions 0.5 cm or larger but more research into low-contrast lesions is still necessary, experts cautioned.

PSMA PET/CT better detects prostate cancer spread, long-term outcomes over conventional imaging

While the results offer indirect evidence, UCLA researchers said they support the clinical use of this technique for initial patient assessment.

Many nationally recognized cancer centers are not complying with price transparency rules

The lack of cooperation may be hindering efforts to rein in cancer costs and improve affordability, oncology experts explained recently.

Oncologists warn of ‘significant’ incidental findings, unrelated to primary cancer, on treatment planning CT

While rare, these instances may represent “major” clinical findings and necessitate additional imaging, rad oncology experts urged.

The $40 million price tag of prior authorizations exposed in new study

Data presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology shines a light on the massive financial burden of prior authorizations.

MR imaging-guided SABR extends the lives of patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer

Miami Cancer Institute experts found the technique "significantly" prolonged overall survival, sharing their findings at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology 2021 conference.

Radiation Oncology

Imaging may be misleading when determining the success of cancer treatment

Prostate cancer radiotherapy timeline can be safely shortened

Simple CT metric predicts treatment-induced kidney impairment in prostate cancer patients

Tiny 'water bears' may hold key to reducing radiation-induced side effects

Orano Med breaks ground on $265M thorium production site