Radiation therapy technique successfully treats pain in patients with advanced cancerNovember 04, 2009Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a radiation therapy procedure pioneered at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) that precisely delivers a large dose of radiation to tumors, effectively controls pain in patients with cancer that has spread to the spine, according to researchers from UPCI. The results of the research will be presented this week during the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Chicago. The study, led by Dwight E. Heron, M.D., associate professor and vice-chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, compared the effectiveness of single and multi-session treatments of SRS in controlling patients' pain. According to Dr. Heron, cancers can frequently spread to the bone and the spine is the site most commonly involved, which can be extremely painful. "Conventional radiation therapy is not always effective in alleviating bone pain resulting from spread of cancer to the spine. In patients who have previously received radiation, few options for effective treatment exist," Dr. Heron said. The study reviewed the outcomes of 228 patients treated with SRS at UPCI and Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC). Patients at UPCI received a single treatment of SRS while patients at GUMC generally received three treatment sessions. "Both arms of the study successfully proved that SRS is a safe and effective form of treatment for patients with cancer that has spread to their bones, even in patients who had previously received radiation to the spine," said Dr. Heron. "Interestingly, patients who received only one treatment experienced faster onset of pain relief but those who received three treatments experienced relief for longer periods of time. Additionally, patients who received three treatments had less need for re-treatment and greater survival rates." University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Advanced Cancer Current Events and Advanced Cancer News Articles Common pain relief medication may encourage cancer growth Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells. Drugs to treat anemia in cancer patients linked to thromboembolism Medications frequently given to cancer patients to reduce their risk of anemia are associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to new research led by Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., co-director of the breast cancer program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. New data: Hospital imaging centers poised to pull back, hitting patients hardest in rural areas Survivors and patients with cancers and heart disease, along with patient advocate organizations and physicians, today urged policymakers to enhance early diagnosis of deadly diseases by preserving access to advanced imaging, such as MRI and CT scans, in final health care reform legislation. New drug aims to 'seek and destroy' many types of cancer A new drug designed to "seek and destroy" common cancers such as breast, prostate, endometrial, pancreatic, ovarian, skin and testicular cancers is being tested at TGen Clinical Research Services (TCRS) at Scottsdale Healthcare. Palliative care intervention for patients with advanced cancer provides quality of life benefits Patients with advanced cancer who received a palliative care intervention focused on addressing physical and psychosocial issues and care coordination that was provided at the same time as cancer treatment reported improved quality of life and mood but did not experience a significant change in the number of days in the hospital or the severity of their symptoms compared to patients who received usual care. Smoking increases potential for metastatic pancreatic cancer Smoking has once again been implicated in the development of advanced cancer. Exposure to nicotine by way of cigarette smoking may increase the likelihood that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma will become metastatic. NIST discovers how strain at grain boundaries suppresses high-temperature superconductivity Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered that a reduction in mechanical strain at the boundaries of crystal grains can significantly improve the performance of high-temperature superconductors (HTS). Stem cell protein offers a new cancer target A protein abundant in embryonic stem cells is now shown to be important in cancer, and offers a possible new target for drug development, report researchers from the Stem Cell Program at Children's Hospital Boston. Focus on treating malnutrition in cancer patients, researchers say Cancer patients who are malnourished experience significantly greater levels of psychological distress than those who are more adequately nourished, according to new results reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology's Symposium on Cancer and Nutrition (Zurich, 20-21 March 2009). Research shows biopsy of recurrent breast cancer can alter treatment For women with recurrent breast cancer, the treatment the doctor chooses is usually based on the properties of their original breast cancer. A group from Toronto has recently completed the world's first study that compared original breast cancer tumors with a biopsy of suspected tumors that recurred elsewhere in the body. More Advanced Cancer Current Events and Advanced Cancer News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||