Dear AuntMinnie Member,
This week brings news from radiation oncology's showcase conference, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in Los Angeles, where staff writer Shalmali Pal was on hand to report for our Radiation Oncology Digital Community.
Our first article addresses prostate brachytherapy. A group of U.S. researchers wanted to see if the technique was suitable for men younger than 60, a cohort that traditionally has been sent directly to surgery. In a patient population of more than 1,700 men, the researchers found that brachytherapy produced good results, an outcome that they attributed both to increased awareness of prostate screening and better brachytherapy technology. Learn more by clicking here.
Another ASTRO study examines why African-American women are more prone to disease relapse after breast-conserving therapy -- despite lower overall breast cancer incidence than in the general population. The findings could impact whether black women are directed to breast-conserving therapy or mastectomy following a cancer diagnosis. Get the rest of the details by clicking here.
And a Dutch study available here found that whole-breast irradiation after lumpectomy can reduce cancer recurrence rates, while a series of three presentations examined the role that CT plays in targeting and planning radiotherapy, available here.
U.S. researchers found no link between smoking and more advanced breast cancer, according to this study, while a Swiss team found that a combination of chemotherapy with temozolomide and radiation therapy can boost long-term survival in glioblastoma patients, available here.
Get these stories and more in our Radiation Oncology Digital Community, at radiation.auntminnie.com.
