http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Radiotherapy-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 07:03:14 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/biomarkers-to-confirm-radiation-exposure-101632-1.htm New biomarkers could be used to confirm the exposure to damaging radiation in large group of people, say researchers. The findings are published in the May 1 issue of iRadiation Research/i. John E. Baker, Ph.D., professor of surgery, biochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, is the lead author of the study. There is an urgent need for rapid, accurate and sensitive diagnostic platforms to confirm exposure to radiation and estimate the dose absorbed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/biomarkers-to-confirm-radiation-exposure-101632-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/no-conclusive-study-to-link-cellular-tower-radiation-with-cancer-101629-1.htm There are no final scientific studies to prove radiation emitted from cellular towers can cause cancer in human beings, say experts. "There is no conclusive scientific fact which can directly link cellular tower radiation with cancer. There are various other environmental risk factors also which could be responsible for increasing cases of cancer and authorities should look into it," said Ajay Kumar, the sole Indian member on the World Medical Council, a representative body of doctors across countries....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/no-conclusive-study-to-link-cellular-tower-radiation-with-cancer-101629-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/northwest-china-to-set-up-radiation-monitoring-stations-101500-1.htm Northwest China's Gansu province to build more than 30 radiation monitoring stations in the next five years. Gansu province will invest 30 million yuan (around (Dollor) 5 million) in setting up such stations in 14 cities and areas with sources of radioactivity including uranium mining and metallurgy and nuclear facilities, the China Daily reported. Gansu already has three radiation monitoring stations in lanzhou, Jiayuguan and Jinchang cities. Officials said the stations contributed greatly ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/northwest-china-to-set-up-radiation-monitoring-stations-101500-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/respiration-in-radiotherapy-striking-the-treatment-target-minus-collateral-damage-101317-1.htm Respiratory motion while in radiotherapy complicates hitting the right treatment target. This in turn is capable of leading to an under-dose of radiation to the tumour or a potentially toxic over-dose to the healthy tissue around it. Getting this right is a real challenge for the radiotherapist, but new techniques are helping to deliver the correct dose to the right place, the 31st conference of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO 31) [1] will hear today (Saturday). Dr....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/respiration-in-radiotherapy-striking-the-treatment-target-minus-collateral-damage-101317-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/how-to-overcome-poor-response-to-radiotherapy-caused-by-low-hemoglobin-levels-demystified-101287-1.htm Previous research has shown that patients with head and neck cancer and a low hemoglobin level do not respond well to radiotherapy. Consequently, the control of their tumour and disease-free survival are compromised. Now researchers from The Netherlands have found that the problems caused by low Hb in these patients can be overcome by the use of a treatment known as ARCON therapy, in which accelerated radiotherapy is combined with carbogen (a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen) and the water-soluble vitamin nicotinamide [1]....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/how-to-overcome-poor-response-to-radiotherapy-caused-by-low-hemoglobin-levels-demystified-101287-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/response-to-radiotherapy-alone-better-in-hpv-positive-throat-cancer-patients-than-hpv-negative-patients-101243-1.htm The role of HPV in throat cancer has been investigated extensively. New findings from a large Danish database of cancer patients suggest that, even though the human papilloma virus (HPV) can trigger throat cancer, patients who are HPV-positive and are light smokers, or don't smoke at all, have a good response to treatment using radiotherapy alone, without the addition of chemotherapy with its consequent toxic side-effects. Presenting her research at the 31st conference of the European Society ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/response-to-radiotherapy-alone-better-in-hpv-positive-throat-cancer-patients-than-hpv-negative-patients-101243-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/head-and-neck-cancer-could-evade-salivary-gland-injury-with-stem-cell-sparing-radiotherapy-101235-1.htm Damaging salivary glands during radiotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer, researchers believe may have found a way to evade, according to a discovery holding promise to enhance the quality of life of 500,000 patients a year worldwide with the disease. Presenting their findings to the 31st conference of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO31) [1], the researchers said that they had discovered that the stem cells essential for regenerating the parotid gland (the largest ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/head-and-neck-cancer-could-evade-salivary-gland-injury-with-stem-cell-sparing-radiotherapy-101235-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/death-rate-or-disease-recurrence-not-reduced-by-post-mastectomy-radiation-for-early-stage-breast-cancer-patients-100971-1.htm Radiation therapy following mastectomy may not have a significant effect on disease recurrence or mortality rates in early-stage breast cancer patients with one to three cancerous lymph nodes. These are the findings of a new study by investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ). The results are part of a poster presentation being given today at the 13th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons being held in Phoenix. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/death-rate-or-disease-recurrence-not-reduced-by-post-mastectomy-radiation-for-early-stage-breast-cancer-patients-100971-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/radiation-dose-reduced-by-use-of-dedicated-pediatric-imaging-departments-for-pediatric-ct-100892-1.htm A study in the May issue of the IJournal of the American College of Radiology/I says that the use of a dedicated pediatric imaging department for pediatric CT scans significantly reduces the radiation dose delivered to the patient. When performed and monitored properly, the benefits of CT scans outweigh the potential long-term risk of radiation. To minimize the potential adverse effects of radiation exposure to pediatric patients, it is necessary to reduce the dose of radiation delivered ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/radiation-dose-reduced-by-use-of-dedicated-pediatric-imaging-departments-for-pediatric-ct-100892-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/fresh-radiation-therapy-slashes-gynaecologic-cancers-treatment-from-5-weeks-to-3-days-100413-1.htm Approximately 71,500 women in the United States are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer each year, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control. Researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center have developed a more effective way to treat gynecologic cancers, shortening radiation treatment time from five weeks to three days. The method will be published in the iJournal of Visualized Experiments/i (iJoVE/i) on April 17. The new method, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/fresh-radiation-therapy-slashes-gynaecologic-cancers-treatment-from-5-weeks-to-3-days-100413-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/smartcard-to-convey-radiation-risks-of-adult-radiologic-exams-radiology-department-99932-1.htm A convenient, pocket-sized reference card to communicate the effective doses and radiation risks of common adult radiologic exams to referring physicians and patients has been developed according to a study in the April issue of the IJournal of the American College of Radiology/I, the department of radiology at the University of Colorado in Denver. The Adult Dose-Risk Smartcard is part of the department's ongoing efforts to ensure safe medical imaging. The Adult Dose-Risk Smartcard is ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/smartcard-to-convey-radiation-risks-of-adult-radiologic-exams-radiology-department-99932-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gastrointestinal-damage-averted-by-antibody-therapy-ensuing-radiation-exposure-in-mice-99887-1.htm New study has the earliest proof of a drug capable of averting lethal damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract resulting from exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, like the ones taking place during a nuclear incident. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments or prophylactics available to manage the condition, known as radiation gastrointestinal syndrome (RGS), which is associated with weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, systemic infection, and - in extreme cases - septic shock and death....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gastrointestinal-damage-averted-by-antibody-therapy-ensuing-radiation-exposure-in-mice-99887-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/obese-patients-exposed-to-more-radiation-during-tests-99806-1.htm A group of US researchers has quantified the amount of radiation obese patients receive when undergoing routine medical scans. Results published today, 6 April, by IOP Publishing in the journal IPhysics in Medicine (and) Biology/I, have shown that, when undergoing a CT scan, a forced change of operation parameters for obese patients results in an increase of up to 62 per cent in organ radiation exposure compared to lower weight patients. The researchers, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/obese-patients-exposed-to-more-radiation-during-tests-99806-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/high-levels-of-x-ray-radiation-may-be-rendered-to-patients-with-digestive-disorders-99583-1.htm People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other gastrointestinal (GI) disorders could be bared to substantial doses of diagnostic radiation, states a new study in IClinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology/I, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. "Our results show that significant increases in radiation exposure in the last decade have paralleled the increased use of computed tomography imaging," said Alan N. Desmond, MB, BMedSc, MRCPI, of the Cork University ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/high-levels-of-x-ray-radiation-may-be-rendered-to-patients-with-digestive-disorders-99583-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/radiation-exposure-reduced-by-lower-dosage-ct-guided-lung-biopsy-protocol-99448-1.htm Radiation exposure is significantly reduced by new guidelines for CT-guided biopsies of lung nodules, thus allowing individuals to benefit from the procedure. This research is being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. "The published early results of a trial using computed tomography to detect lung nodules demonstrated that screening with low-dose CT reduced mortality from lung cancer by 20 percent compared to screening ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/radiation-exposure-reduced-by-lower-dosage-ct-guided-lung-biopsy-protocol-99448-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/hugo-chavez-flying-to-cuba-for-radiation-treatment-99268-1.htm Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is flying to Cuba for radiation therapy, a month after his cancer surgery. "Tonight, I'm leaving for Havana," Chavez said on Saturday. "I've decided, on the recommendation of my medical team and also my government political team, to begin now, as we're going to begin on Sunday, radiation therapy treatment," CBS News quoted him, as saying. Chavez described it as a "complement to the surgery that I underwent" last month. He has been recovering from ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/hugo-chavez-flying-to-cuba-for-radiation-treatment-99268-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/radiotherapy-after-surgery-reduces-dics-recurrence-by-50-99224-1.htm Patients who receive radiotherapy treatment (RT) after surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are at reduced risk of developing a recurrence, according to the results of an international trial. Researchers found that the use of RT in addition to surgery could reduce the chances of a local recurrence (the cancer coming back in the same breast) by 50%. Results from the trial, which has one of the longest follow-ups of a large group of patients in the world to date, will be reported today ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/radiotherapy-after-surgery-reduces-dics-recurrence-by-50-99224-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/japanese-food-shoppers-haunted-by-radiation-fears-98239-1.htm Many Japanese shoppers have lost faith in government guarantees and fear that radiation could have contaminated their diet. Meltdowns at the nuclear plant in the aftermath of last year's tsunami sent poisonous radioactive particles into the air and water, blanketing crops grown near the power station and polluting waters where seafood is harvested. A number of Fukushima products were taken off the official menu, with government bans on beef, milk, mushrooms and some green vegetables....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/japanese-food-shoppers-haunted-by-radiation-fears-98239-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/breast-cancer-cells-transformed-into-cancer-stem-cells-via-radiation-therapy-97711-1.htm Radiation treatment transforms other cancer cells into treatment-resistant breast cancer stem cells, researchers have revealed. According to researchers with the UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, the generation of these breast cancer stem cells counteracts the otherwise highly efficient radiation treatment. If scientists can uncover the mechanisms and prevent this transformation from occurring, radiation treatment for breast cancer could ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/breast-cancer-cells-transformed-into-cancer-stem-cells-via-radiation-therapy-97711-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/elderly-lung-cancer-patients-may-not-get-survival-benefit-with-common-postoperative-radiotherapy-97581-1.htm Post-operative radiation therapy (PORT) may not prolong life in older people with locally advanced disease, according to researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. PORT is a controversial yet frequently administered treatment for lung cancer, The findings appear in the February 13 online edition of ICancer/I, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the standard of care is surgery to remove the tumor. However, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/elderly-lung-cancer-patients-may-not-get-survival-benefit-with-common-postoperative-radiotherapy-97581-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/adaptive-radiotherapy-may-benefit-head-and-neck-cancer-patients-97521-1.htm The first clinical trial of adaptive radiotherapy for head and neck cancer patients shows that ART may benefit patients with less technical difficulty. The findings of this trial were released online in advance of publication in the IInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics/I. Physicians commonly use radiotherapy to treat squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (back of throat). Current standard-of-care treatment is called intensity-modulated radiotherapy, or IMRT....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/adaptive-radiotherapy-may-benefit-head-and-neck-cancer-patients-97521-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-radiation-exposure-and-testicular-cancer-risk-97474-1.htm Male fetuses exposed to radiation during early pregnancy face increased chance of developing testicular cancer, reports study published in iPLoS ONE/i. The study is the first to find an environmental cause for testicular germ cell tumors, the most common cancer in young Caucasian men. "This discovery launches a major shift in the current research model, placing DNA-damaging agents in the forefront as likely mediators of testicular cancer induction," said corresponding author Gunapala Shetty, Ph....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-radiation-exposure-and-testicular-cancer-risk-97474-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-radiation-therapy-improves-head-and-neck-patients-quality-of-life-96789-1.htm Head and neck cancer patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) report better quality of life post-treatment, reveals study. Intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, is a highly specialized form of external beam radiation therapy that allows the radiation beam to better target and conform to a tumor. It is a newer treatment that has become widely adopted for treating head and neck cancer. Prior studies have shown that IMRT decreases the probability of radiation ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-radiation-therapy-improves-head-and-neck-patients-quality-of-life-96789-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/cyberknife-radiation-eases-pain-96691-1.htm Cyberknife radiation relives stabbing pain of trigeminal neuralgia - a facial nerve condition, reports study published in the IJournal of NeuroInterventional Surgery/I. Trigeminal neuralgia is thought to affect around five in every 100,000 people. It takes its name from the trigeminal nerve, the source of the pain, which is experienced as a sharp, stabbing/burning sensation, affecting the jaw or cheek. While brief, these episodes are recurrent, and drug treatments often fail to provide ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/cyberknife-radiation-eases-pain-96691-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/teenagers-in-chile-over-exposed-to-uv-radiation-from-sun-rays-96612-1.htm Chile is searching for ways to protect its people from sun rays because a thinning ozone layer means 18-year-olds near the equator have been exposed to ultraviolet radiation equivalent to seniors elsewhere. The health risks have already led to the development of devices that measure ultraviolet (UV) radiation and issue warnings by illuminating color-coded warning lights. On a recent day in Santiago, a building site foreman sounded a whistle that made a dozen workers stop what they were doing amid steel, cement and cranes....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/teenagers-in-chile-over-exposed-to-uv-radiation-from-sun-rays-96612-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Occupational-Health-and-Safety-Meet-Dispels-Panic-on-Radiation-96014-1.htm Radiation just like every other resource can either be put to good use or for destructive purpose which recalls words from the science classes, 'Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another'. So, to dispel radiation fears and restore trust in productive use of radiation a panel of experts gave presentations and offered detailed explanations at The Journalist Workshop-cum-Press Meet in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on January 11, 2012 on 'Occupational Health ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Occupational-Health-and-Safety-Meet-Dispels-Panic-on-Radiation-96014-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Experts-Tips-to-Optimize-Radiation-Dose-in-Pediatric-CT-95829-1.htm System for radiation dose optimization in pediatric computed tomography (CT) scans is available as a summarized article in the January issue of the iJournal of the American College of Radiology/i. Approximately seven to eight million CT examinations are performed for various pediatric clinical indications per year in the United States. Justification of clinical indication is the most important aspect of reducing radiation dose with CT scanning. A substantial number of pediatric CT scans ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Experts-Tips-to-Optimize-Radiation-Dose-in-Pediatric-CT-95829-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Soybean-Compounds-and-Radiation-Therapy-95088-1.htm Soybean compounds make radiation treatment of lung cancer tumors more effective, reveals study. A team led by Gilda Hillman, Ph.D., professor of radiation oncology at Wayne State University's School of Medicine and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, had shown previously that soy isoflavones, a natural, nontoxic component of soybeans, increases the ability of radiation to kill cancer cells in prostate tumors. It blocks DNA repair mechanisms and molecular survival pathways, which ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Soybean-Compounds-and-Radiation-Therapy-95088-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Use-of-Brachytherapy-for-Breast-Cancer-Radiotherapy-may-Not-Have-Solid-Basis-95040-1.htm A study published December 16th in the i Journal of the National Cancer Institute/i says that accelerated partial breast irradiation using brachytherapy (APBIb) for the treatment of breast cancer has been rapidly increasing over the last several years in the U.S. It has been touted as an alternative to standard whole-breast irradiation (WBI). Various types of APBI recurrence (external beam radiation, intraoperative radiotherapy, brachytherapy using multiple interstitial catheters, or intracavitary ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Use-of-Brachytherapy-for-Breast-Cancer-Radiotherapy-may-Not-Have-Solid-Basis-95040-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Finding-Makes-Radiation-Therapy-More-Effective-Safer-95026-1.htm A recent study reveals that radiation therapy may soon become more effective with fewer side effects. Georgia Health Sciences University scientists have devised a way to reduce lung cancer cells' ability to repair the lethal double-strand DNA breaks caused by radiation therapy. "Radiation is a great therapy - the problem is the side effects," said Dr. William S. Dynan, biochemist and Associate Director of Research and Chief, Nanomedicine and Gene Regulation at the GHSU Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Finding-Makes-Radiation-Therapy-More-Effective-Safer-95026-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Sickness-Potential-Therapy-Identified-in-Dana-FarberChildrens-Hospital-Boston-Study-93898-1.htm A study led by scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital Boston has revealed that a combination of two drugs may alleviate radiation sickness in people who have been exposed to high levels of radiation. This combination was effective even when the therapy is given a day after the exposure occurred. Mouse studies of other potential therapies suggest they would be effective in humans only if administered within a few minutes or hours of radiation exposure, making them ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Sickness-Potential-Therapy-Identified-in-Dana-FarberChildrens-Hospital-Boston-Study-93898-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Survival-Increased-in-Nasopharyngeal-Cancer-Patients-by-Concurrent-Chemo-and-Radiation-Regimen-93048-1.htm A phase III study has revealed that the combination of chemotherapy and radiation significantly improved the 5-year overall survival of patients with stage II nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). The results are published in the Nov. 4 issue of the i the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. /i Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is endemic in Southern China and Southeast Asia, where radiotherapy (RT) has been the primary treatment. Although the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends concurrent ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Survival-Increased-in-Nasopharyngeal-Cancer-Patients-by-Concurrent-Chemo-and-Radiation-Regimen-93048-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Nanotechnology-for-Safe-Storage-Of-Nuclear-Waste-And-Containing-Radiation-Damage-92794-1.htm The nanotechnology is making ever greater strides, it seems. It could be pressed into service for safe storage of nuclear waste, a problem that has defied an acceptable solution all these days. It can also clean up contaminated water after nuclear disasters. Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers say they have come up witha world-first intelligent absorbent, using titanate nanofibre. Professor Huai-Yong Zhu from QUT Chemistry said the new technology could efficiently lock in deadly ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Nanotechnology-for-Safe-Storage-Of-Nuclear-Waste-And-Containing-Radiation-Damage-92794-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Japan-Lowers-Limit-of-Radiation-in-Food-92702-1.htm The amount of radiation in food products will be lowered from five millisieverts per year to one, announces Japanese Health Minister Yoko Komiyama. The announcement, however, has left experts puzzled, The Japan Times reports. Permanent limits for various categories of food would reportedly be set based on recommendations submitted on Thursday by the government's food panel. The current limit of 500 becquerels per kilogram of radiation for meat, fish and vegetables is also expected to be lowered by about one-fifth in April....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Japan-Lowers-Limit-of-Radiation-in-Food-92702-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Cellphone-Radiation-Danger-Double-for-Children-92175-1.htm Cell phones used in the shirt or pants pocket exceed FCC exposure guidelines and children absorb twice as much microwave radiation from phones as do adults. These shocking findings are reported in a scholarly article on cell phone safety to be published online October 17 in the journal IElectromagnetic Biology and Medicine/I. The paper, titled "Exposure Limits: The underestimation of absorbed cell phone radiation, especially in children," notes that the industry-designed process for evaluating ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Cellphone-Radiation-Danger-Double-for-Children-92175-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Higher-Radiation-Dose-Does-Not-Benefit-Survival-Rate-in-Lung-Cancer-Patients-91498-1.htm In patients with non-small cell lung cancer, higher dose of radiation does not extend the survival rate compared to the standard radiation dose, shows analysis presented at the plenary session, October 3, 2011, at the 53rdAnnual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). "Most radiation oncologists and lung cancer specialists are surprised by this finding. Although the optimal radiation dose for lung cancer patients has not been tested in a randomized phase III trial for ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Higher-Radiation-Dose-Does-Not-Benefit-Survival-Rate-in-Lung-Cancer-Patients-91498-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Dose-to-Breast-and-Lungs-Must-be-Considered-During-Thoracic-Imaging-Protocols-91451-1.htm It is important to take into consideration the radiation dose to the breast and lungs prior to deciding the type of CT protocol to use for thoracic imaging of individual patients, according to a recent study. The study compared organ doses to the breast, lungs and pelvis using commonly used protocols and found a change in protocol could decrease breast radiation dose by more than 50 percent. "The highest doses to the breast skin and parenchyma were found with our standard thoracic CT protocol ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Dose-to-Breast-and-Lungs-Must-be-Considered-During-Thoracic-Imaging-Protocols-91451-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Dose-and-Fluoroscopy-91208-1.htm For epidural steroid injections, the radiation dose for a CT fluoroscopy is about half that for conventional fluoroscopy, shows study. Physicians may hesitate to use CT fluoroscopy because of concerns about radiation dose, said Jenny K. Hoang, MD of Duke University Medical Center, and one of the authors of the study. However, the study found that since CT fluoroscopy itself takes less time than conventional fluoroscopy (4.7 seconds versus 37 seconds on average), the radiation dose is actually much lower....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Dose-and-Fluoroscopy-91208-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemo-Plus-Radiation-Before-Surgery-Increases-Tumor-Response-for-Rectal-Cancer-91176-1.htm A study presented at presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) says that rectal cancer patients who use a new combination of the chemotherapy, Capecitabine, together with five weeks of radiation (50 Gy) before surgery have an 88 percent chance of surviving the cancer three years after treatment. "The results of the trial allow us to recommend a new pre-operative treatment, the aCAP 50'' regimen, in locally advanced rectal cancer. It''s safe ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemo-Plus-Radiation-Before-Surgery-Increases-Tumor-Response-for-Rectal-Cancer-91176-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Long-Term-Survival-for-Inoperable-Stage-III-Lung-Cancer-Improved-by-Concurrent-Chemo-and-Radiation-Therapy-90377-1.htm Available data indicates that nearly 50,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with stage III or locally advanced NSCLC, for which surgery is usually not a viable treatment option. Optimizing nonsurgical treatment strategies for these patients is an ongoing research endeavor. In an article published online September 8, 2011 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, RTOG researchers report that treating patients with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy significantly increased ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Long-Term-Survival-for-Inoperable-Stage-III-Lung-Cancer-Improved-by-Concurrent-Chemo-and-Radiation-Therapy-90377-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Effect-of-Cancer-Radiation-Therapy-Differs-in-Patients-90346-1.htm A new study has revealed that the effect of radiation therapy to treat cancer differs from one individual to another. Vivian Cheung from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia along with his colleagues exposed the cells of 99 healthy individuals to a session of radiation, which starts a cellular response akin to that taking place during cancer therapy. An "executioner" enzyme - caspase, which causes the cells to self-destruct, was seen to have increased between 120 to 720 percent ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Effect-of-Cancer-Radiation-Therapy-Differs-in-Patients-90346-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Pointers-for-Optimizing-Radiation-Dose-in-Chest-CT-90183-1.htm Methods for radiation dose optimization in chest computed tomography (CT) scans have been summarized in an article in the September issue of the IJournal of the American College of Radiology/I. Chest CT is the third most commonly performed CT examination, frequently used to diagnose the cause of clinical signs or symptoms of the chest, such as cough, shortness of breath, chest pain or fever. Regardless of the body region being scanned, dose reduction must always start with making sure ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Pointers-for-Optimizing-Radiation-Dose-in-Chest-CT-90183-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Scanner-That-Detects-Breast-Cancer-Without-Using-Radiation-Developed-89751-1.htm Israeli scientists have developed a scanner that can detect breast cancer more effectively than traditional X-ray mammograms without using radiation. The new device finds tumours in the breast by using infrared beams and thermal energy. Scientists at Real Imaging, the Israeli inventors of the scanner, found women with breast cancer produced different signals on the surface of their skin. The machine can detect this without direct contact with the breast. In a trial of 2,500 women the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Scanner-That-Detects-Breast-Cancer-Without-Using-Radiation-Developed-89751-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Exposure-Limits-Reduced-89702-1.htm Due to the health concerns in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Japan lowers radiation exposure limits for children to below one millisievert per year while at school. The education ministry delivered the instruction to all schools across the nation including Fukushima where high levels of radiation were released from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami. Following the accident, Japan raised the exposure limit for both adults and children ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Exposure-Limits-Reduced-89702-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Says-Physicians-Exposure-to-Radiation-Prompt-Cellular-Changes-That-may-Protect-the-Body-from-Harm-89651-1.htm It is well-known that cardiologists who perform heart operations using x-ray guided catheters are exposed to ionising radiation at levels two to three times higher per year than those experienced by radiologists. Now, new research has found the first evidence that these constant, high levels of exposure cause changes at cell level that might represent the body's way of protecting itself against the harmful effects of radiation. The research, published online today in the IEuropean Heart ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Says-Physicians-Exposure-to-Radiation-Prompt-Cellular-Changes-That-may-Protect-the-Body-from-Harm-89651-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Near-Japans-Fukushima-Disaster-Site-Rice-Showing-Evidence-of-Radiation-89478-1.htm A Japanese regional government has claimed to have detected radioactive contamination in rice that was well below levels considered hazardous, amid continuing worries in Japan over food safety following the March 11 nuclear disaster. This is the first time that a public report about rice being affected has emerged following the devastating earthquake-cum-tsunami that rocked the country this year, The Wall Street Journal reports. The tainted rice was found in Ibaraki prefecture, a southern neighbor ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Near-Japans-Fukushima-Disaster-Site-Rice-Showing-Evidence-of-Radiation-89478-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Ceremonial-Wood-Rejected-in-Kyoto-Over-Radiation-Fears-89122-1.htm After rejecting wood from the tsunami-ravaged Pacific coast for a traditional bonfire festival over fears of radioactive contamination, Japan's former imperial capital of Kyoto apologised on Saturday. For centuries, Kyoto has marked the end of a Buddhist holiday season, during which ancestors' souls are believed to return home, by setting giant bonfires on mountains. In modern times the event has been held every August 16, and Rikuzen Takata, a city in Japan's northeast devastated by the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Ceremonial-Wood-Rejected-in-Kyoto-Over-Radiation-Fears-89122-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Protection-for-Lungs-With-Flaxseed-Shield-89045-1.htm Flax used for weaving cloth, feeding people and animals, and even making paint could also protect healthy tissues and organs from the harmful effects of radiation, according to a new study. Principal investigator Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues found that a diet of flaxseed given to mice not only protects lung tissues before exposure to radiation, but also can significantly reduce damage after exposure occurs. ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Protection-for-Lungs-With-Flaxseed-Shield-89045-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Fear-Dominates-Thoughts-of-Japanese-Parents-88790-1.htm Media reports indicate that parents living near Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant are facing a nightmare dilemma: evacuate their children or live with the fear that radiation will make them sick. Since the crisis started on March 11, authorities have raised the exposure limit for children to that used for atomic plant workers in many countries but have sought to reassure families their children are safe. Some people have listened to the official advice, then voted with their feet ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiation-Fear-Dominates-Thoughts-of-Japanese-Parents-88790-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiotherapy-Errors-Could-be-Reduced-by-Combination-of-Existing-Safety-Checks-88716-1.htm A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers says that a combination of several well-known safety procedures could greatly reduce patient-harming errors in the use of radiation to treat cancer. Radiation oncologists use more than a dozen quality assurance (QA) checks to prevent radiotherapy errors, but until now, the Hopkins researchers say, no one has systematically evaluated their effectiveness. Working with researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, the Hopkins team gathered data ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Radiotherapy-Errors-Could-be-Reduced-by-Combination-of-Existing-Safety-Checks-88716-1.htm