Topic

Lung Cancer


Swiss patient treated with Varian's Gated RapidArc technology

Contracts & Installations | Tuesday, August 31 2010
Radiotherapy provider Varian Medical Systems has treated its first patient with its Gated RapidArc system, a radiotherapy treatment technology that monitors patient breathing and compensates for tumor motion.
 

NEJM: Early palliative care for lung cancer extends life, improves mood

Top Stories | Wednesday, August 18 2010
Patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received early palliative care lived two months longer than patients receiving standard care and reported improved mood and quality of life, according to a study in the Aug. 19 New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
 

AJR: Preradiotherapy FDG PET modifies treatment in NSCLC

Clinical Studies | Sunday, August 15 2010
Preradiotherapy FDG PET for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients referred for 3D conformal radiotherapy may lead to significant modification of treatment strategy and radiotherapy planning, according to a prospective multicenter study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
 

Study: Stereotactic radiosurgery controls tumors, preserves brain function

Clinical Studies | Friday, July 23 2010
Linear accelerator based stereotactic radiosurgery may be a promising therapeutic option for patients presenting with metastatic tumors in critical eloquent parts of the brain, according to a study presented at the 5th International Conference of the Novalis Circle held last month in Munich.
 

AAPM: Lung SBRT spares normal tissue

Friday, July 23 2010
PHILADELPHIA—Lung cancer patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) experienced few lasting side effects, indicating the technique adequately spares normal tissue, according to a six-year study presented July 19 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM).
 

AAPM: 'Smart' tumor tracking reduces radiation dose

Conference News | Thursday, July 22 2010
PHILADELPHIA--A new mathematical model to better pinpoint tumor location and thereby reduce radiation exposure uses data on how tumor motion has changed during a course of radiation treatment, along with real-time tumor images to calculate the confidence physicists can have about an instantaneous tumor position estimate. The research was presented July 21 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM).
 

Vanderbilt uses PET/CT to uncover cancerous tumors

Industry News | Wednesday, July 21 2010
Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., and affiliated VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System has performed a specialized 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT scan to locate the presence of tumors.
 

Report: Lung cancer biomarkers lag technology, collaboration needed

Industry News | Friday, July 09 2010
Developing new imaging biomarkers and public data sets for lung cancer is important for independent peer review and verification of results, and new capabilities for the rapid assessment of treatment responses are required in order to allow for more rapid evaluation of the success or failure of drug candidates in clinical trials, according to a report published July in Optics Express.
 

Report: Cancer deaths continue to decrease, partly due earlier detection

Top Stories | Thursday, July 08 2010
Cancer mortality rates continued a 20 year drop, with 767,000 cancer deaths averted, according to a report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) published online July 7 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
 

Indian hospital offers stereotactic radiosurgery from Varian

Contracts & Installations | Wednesday, July 07 2010
Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad, India, has treated a 65–year old inoperable lung cancer patient with stereotactic radiosurgery via RapidArc technology from Varian Medical Systems.
 

JAMA: Length of telomeres associated with cancer risk

Clinical Studies | Wednesday, July 07 2010
Shorter length of leukocyte telomeres–chromosome markers of biological aging–are associated with an increased risk of cancer and death from cancer, according to a study in the July 7 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.
 

NCI clinical trials group re-elects chair

Executive Announcements | Friday, June 25 2010
The principal investigators of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group re-elected Walter J. Curran Jr., MD, to a fourth term as group chair.
 

AR: High-res CT datasets may help quantify lung cancer risk

Clinical Studies | Wednesday, June 23 2010
A new lung cancer risk index could provide a way to determine an individual’s risk for lung cancer, according to a study published in the July issue of Academic Radiology. Researchers analyzed high-resolution CT datasets and pulmonary function testing results to produce a quantitative measure for estimating an individual’s lung cancer risk.
 

CT Screening: Where Do We Stand?

Cover Story | Monday, June 21 2010
Written by C.P. Kaiser
Ten years ago, it was nearly impossible to go through the day without seeing an advertisement for whole-body CT screening. Today it’s a different story. The radiation dose exposure from CT scanning has come under intense scrutiny and the value of CT screening must be proved in rigorous trials before many payors, especially Medicare, will consider reimbursing for an exam.
 

FDA clears Riverain's updated chest CAD technology

Regulatory News | Monday, June 21 2010
The FDA has granted approval for Riverain Medical’s newest version of the OnGuard chest x-ray computer-aided detection (CAD) technology.
 

ELCC: Chemo drug increases efficacy of radiotherapy in lung cancer

Conference News | Tuesday, May 04 2010
The phase I trial of the chemotherapy drug pemetrexed (Alimta, Eli Lilly) when used simultaneously with radiotherapy for certain cases of lung cancer has proven to be well-enough tolerated to allow for high dose administration during the treatment, increasing radiotherapy’s effectiveness,  researchers reported during a presentation at the second annual European Lung Cancer Conference on April 30.
 

ELCC: Hyperfractionated radiotherapy could improve survival for some

Conference News | Friday, April 30 2010
When treated with hyperfractionated or accelerated radiotherapy as opposed to a traditional combined radio-chemotherapy schedule, patients with both non-small-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer benefit in terms of overall survival, according to the results of a meta-analysis presented at the second annual European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) last week.
 

ELCC: New software may bolster breathing-adapted radiotherapy technique

Conference News | Friday, April 30 2010
A new 4D software program that combines the “breathing-adapted radiotherapy” technique will improve the treatment of lung cancer, said Nicolas Peguret, MD, and colleagues from Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève during a presentation at the second annual European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva last week.
 

ASTRO: Lung SBRT, a good alternative to surgery for some

Industry News | Thursday, April 29 2010
According to a recently released report by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of lung cancer can be a reasonable alternative to surgery in certain cases of the disease.
 

Radiology: Tumor detection on chest x-ray is ‘observer dependent’

Clinical Studies | Tuesday, April 27 2010
For lung cancer tumors with a diameter of 6.8 to 50.7 mm found during CT screenings, a detection rate of 94 percent could be achieved with chest radiography only at the expense of a high false-positive rate and an excessive number of work-up CT examinations, according to the findings of a study published in the May edition of Radiology.
 
Web Exclusives

Feature: U.S. needs national strategy to curb imaging overutilization

Medical imaging overutilization--a growing concern in the U.S.--exposes patients to unnecessary radiation, while also adding to rising healthcare costs, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Radiology. In an interview, William R. Hendee, PhD, lead author, reviewed various methods by which medical imaging could be curtailed.

Radiology: Prelim study shows CE breast CT outperforms CT, mammo

Dedicated contrast-enhanced (CE) breast CT delivered significantly improved conspicuity of malignant breast lesions, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), compared with unenhanced breast CT and mammography, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.

Radiology: Rad role may evolve as image-guided biopsies trend up

CT, ultrasound and MRI have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward image-guided percutaneous techniques, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology. The trend toward less-invasive approaches translates into enhanced safety and efficiency and could lead to more interaction between patients and radiologists.

CMS Webinar: Incentive payments to offset EHR adoption, not reimburse

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) EHR incentive payments are not considered reimbursement for money expended on EHR technology, but are intended to offset the cost associated with adoption and ongoing meaningful use, according to CMS during an Aug. 12 webinar.

CMS webinar: Eligible professionals can expect EHR incentives in 2011

Funding incentives for EHR use is the main goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) meaningful use initiative, and there are incentive programs for both hospitals and eligible professionals, according to Elizabeth Holland, health insurance specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke during a CMS-sponsored webinar Aug. 8.

Webinar: Stage 1 of meaningful use is for quality reporting acclimation

Stage 1 requirements for meaningful use incentives aim to strike a balance between the overall goal of EHR use and widespread adoption, while avoiding added work, said Jonathan Teich, MD, PhD, chief medical informatics officer at Elsevier Health Services, during a HIMSS webinar titled “Meaningful Use: Safety and Quality of Care.”

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