| IMRT spares bladder in prostate radiation
BOSTON, Oct. 11 Intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, spares the bladder more from direct radiation compared to 3-D conformal proton therapy, a U.S. study found.
The Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, jointly conducted the study to determine the comparative benefits and drawbacks of IMRT versus 3D-CPT as treatments for patients with prostate cancer and to determine whether specific cases should be assigned to one treatment method over the other.
"This study was important because it reassures a patient with prostate cancer that the methods that are available at his local hospital may, in many cases, be as good as those that are currently only available in a limited number of centers," study author Dr.
NRI creates mice resistant to cancer
An Indian-origin researcher at the University of Kentucky has led a team to create mice that are resistant to aggressive types of cancer. The might of the mouse comes from a tumour-suppressor gene in the prostate called Par-4, discovered by Vivek Rangnekar, professor of radiation medicine at the UK College of Medicine, who had completed his doctoral studies at the University of Bombay. The researchers discovered that the Par-4 gene kills cancer cells, but not normal cells. “The implications for humans could be that through bone marrow transplantation, the Par-4 molecule could potentially be used to fight cancer cells in patients without the toxic and damaging side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy,"' said the University's media statement announcing the breakthrough.
Hyperthermia Combined with Radiation and Androgen Therapy Provides ...
BSD Medical Corp. (AMEX:BSM) today announced that the International Journal of Hyperthermia has published the preliminary results of a phase II clinical study involving 144 patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. In this study BSD Medical's BSD-2000 hyperthermia system was used to deliver local hyperthermia combined with conformal radiation therapy and androgen suppression therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer. Hyperthermia combined with radiation and androgen therapy demonstrated results in survival similar to treatments using higher radiation doses, with no significant side effects associated with either hyperthermia or radiation therapy. The report is entitled "Conformal radiotherapy plus local hyperthermia in patients affected by locally advanced high risk prostate cancer: Preliminary results of a prospective phase II study" (see Int.
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