Category: Cancer

Correcting tiny differences in patient’s position for radiotherapy could increase survival chances

Barcelona, Spain: Very small differences in the way a patient lies during radiotherapy treatment for lung or oesophageal cancer can have an impact on how likely they are to survive, according to research presented at the ESTRO 37 conference. These differences of only a few millimetres can mean that the radiation treatment designed to target […]

Brachytherapy for cervical cancer patients does not increase the risk of ureteral stricture

Barcelona, Spain: A rare but potentially serious complication following radiation treatment for cervical cancer is a narrowing of the tube (the ureter) that takes urine from the kidneys to the bladder, which can lead to kidney damage and sometimes life-threatening infections. This is called ureteral stricture and, until now, there have been concerns that brachytherapy […]

Elderly non-small cell lung cancer patients are less likely to benefit from treatment with simultaneous radio- and chemotherapy

Barcelona, Spain: An analysis of elderly patients treated in a phase II trial of radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has shown that they were less likely to benefit than younger patients if the two treatments were given at the same time. Previous research has shown that for NSCLC patients with […]

Handgrip strength test is a good indicator of survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients

Barcelona, Spain: A simple test of handgrip strength is a good indicator of short- and long-term survival in patients with early, stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to new findings  presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO 37) conference [1]. In a study of 226 patients who were about to […]

Fewer breast cancer patients need radical surgery if they are pre-treated with targeted drugs

Barcelona, Spain: Extensive surgery involving mastectomy and removal of several lymph nodes can be safely avoided for more women with some types of breast cancer, if they receive targeted drugs before surgery, according to research presented at the 11th European Breast Cancer Conference. The study focused on women with HER2 positive breast cancer, an aggressive […]

Many women with early breast cancer have a very low risk of a locoregional recurrence five years after surgery: latest results from MINDACT trial

Barcelona, Spain: Women with small, low grade, well-defined breast tumours and a genetic profile that shows they are at low risk of the cancer metastasising have only a 1.4% risk of the cancer returning to the site of the original tumour or the nearby lymph nodes (known as locoregional recurrence) within five years, according to […]

Chair of the European Breast Cancer Conference calls for men to be included in trials to find better treatments for breast cancer

Barcelona, Spain: Professor Robert Mansel, Chair of the 11th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-11) and Emeritus Professor of Surgery at Cardiff University School of Medicine, UK, has called for men to be included in trials to improve treatments for breast cancer. Following new research presented by Professor Isabel Rubio [1] at EBCC-11 that showed that […]

Women report fewer adverse side effects from partial or reduced breast radiotherapy: new results from IMPORT LOW trial

Barcelona, Spain: The average number of moderate or marked side-effects reported by breast cancer patients is lower if they are treated with radiotherapy to part of the breast or a reduced dose to the whole breast, rather than with standard radiotherapy to the whole breast, according to new findings presented at the 11th European Breast […]

Women with breast symptoms are at higher risk of cancer diagnosis in between regular screening visits

Barcelona, Spain: Women who report symptoms such as lumps, nipple retraction or nipple discharge during their regular breast screening appointments, are at higher risk of developing breast cancer during the interval before their next visit in two or three years’ time as part of a national screening programme. In new research presented at the 11th […]

Average size of breast tumours decreased following introduction of screening but is now increasing again

Barcelona, Spain: The average size of breast cancers at diagnosis decreased dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s following the introduction of screening, according to research presented at the 11th European Breast Cancer Conference. However, the new research also reveals a slight increase in the average size of breast tumours since 2001, perhaps as a result […]