Vienna, Austria: Lung cancer patients who are treated with radiotherapy can develop an inflammation of the lung tissue called pneumonitis; this can limit the dose of radiation they can receive and severe forms of pneumonitis, if left untreated, can be fatal. Now researchers have found that it is possible to adapt radiation treatment so that […]
Category: Cancer
ESTRO announces GIRO: a project to save one million lives in under twenty years
Vienna, Austria: Although radiation therapy is an essential part of modern cancer treatment, and is indicated for about half of all new cancer patients, facilities for its provision are sadly lacking in many countries worldwide. Indeed, 29 out of 52 African nations have no radiotherapy facilities whatsoever. At the ESTRO 36 conference leaders of the […]
Cervical cancer survivors frequently suffer from long-term fatigue, insomnia and hot flushes
Vienna Austria: Around half of women who have been treated for locally advanced cervical cancer suffer from symptoms of insomnia, fatigue or hot flushes at some point, according to new research presented at the ESTRO 36 conference. Cervical cancer affects more than 500,000 women around the world each year [1], with an average age at […]
England’s Cancer Drugs Fund ‘failed to deliver meaningful value to patients and society’
Analysis of the drugs that were approved for use by the NHS Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) in England has shown that the fund was not good value for patients and society and may have resulted in patients suffering unnecessarily from toxic side effects of the drugs. In a study published in the leading cancer journal […]
Death rates from cancer will fall faster in men than in women in Europe in 2017
Death rates from cancer in the European Union (EU) are falling faster in men than in women, according to the latest predictions for European cancer deaths in 2017, published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. Researchers in Italy, Switzerland and the USA, led by Carlo La Vecchia (MD), Professor at the Faculty […]
Breath test could help detect stomach and oesophageal cancers
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: A test that measures the levels of five chemicals in the breath has shown promising results for the detection of cancers of the oesophagus and stomach in a large patient trial presented at the European Cancer Congress 2017 [1]. Together, stomach and oesophageal cancer account for around 1.4 million new cancer diagnoses […]
Diabetes or its rapid deterioration can be an early warning sign for pancreatic cancer
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Patients and their doctors should be aware that the onset of diabetes, or a rapid deterioration in existing diabetes that requires more aggressive treatment, could be a sign of early, hidden pancreatic cancer, according to research presented at the European Cancer Congress 2017 [1]. Ms Alice Koechlin, from the International Prevention Research […]
Some early stage breast cancer patients may benefit more from breast conserving therapy than from mastectomy
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Breast conserving therapy (BCT, breast conserving surgery combined with radiation therapy) is superior to mastectomy in certain types of breast cancer patients, according to results from the largest study to date, presented at the European Cancer Congress 2017 [1]. Professor Sabine Siesling, from the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL) and University of […]
Experts predict melanoma death rates will fall by 2050, but numbers of deaths will increase unless effective treatments are developed
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: By 2050 the death rates from malignant melanoma will have decreased from their current levels but the numbers of people dying from the disease will have increased due to the aging of populations. However, if new treatments for the deadly skin cancer prove to be effective, the numbers of deaths could fall […]
The immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, is active against mucosal melanoma tumours and prolongs survival for patients with bladder cancer
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Clinical trials of a new immunotherapy, pembrolizumab, have shown that it prolongs life significantly for patients with bladder cancer and is active against a rare sub-type of melanoma, called mucosal melanoma. The findings were presented in two presentations at the European Cancer Congress 2017 [1]. Until now, mucosal melanoma has often been […]