A further step along the road to the personalisation of cancer medicine, where treatment is based on the individual molecular characteristics of tumours rather than their primary site, will be presented at the 2013 European Cancer Congress (ECC2013), which starts on Friday 27 September in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Dr Christophe Le Tourneau, Head of the […]
Category: Cancer
Large study reveals increased cancer risks associated with family history of the disease
A family history of cancer increases the risk of other members of the family developing not only the same cancer (known as a concordant cancer) but also a different (discordant) cancer, according to a large study of 23,000 people in Italy and Switzerland. The research, published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1], […]
Significant under-use of genetic testing for inherited cancers puts health of entire families at risk
Paris, France: A new study of the use of genetic testing for cancer-causing mutations in affected families in France has found that its take-up is very low. Professor Pascal Pujol, Head of the Cancer Genetics Department, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics that analysis of […]
Palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases in the elderly has positive effects on pain and quality of life
Geneva, Switzerland: Giving palliative radiotherapy to elderly patients with painful bone metastases can significantly improve their quality of life, a Dutch researcher told the 2nd Forum of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO). With the number of elderly patients who suffer from metastatic disease on the increase due to the ageing of the population […]
Commonly used drug can limit radiation damage to lungs and heart for cancer patients
Geneva, Switzerland: Unavoidable damage caused to the heart and lungs by radiotherapy treatment of tumours in the chest region can be limited by the administration of an ACE inhibitor, a drug commonly used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, a group of Dutch researchers have found. [1] Common cancers such as breast, oesophagus, lung, and […]
Intensity modulated radiotherapy reduces side effects in patients with early breast cancer
Geneva, Switzerland: Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) gives better results than standard radiotherapy in patients with early breast cancer, according to results from a randomised trial presented to the 2nd Forum of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO). IMRT is an advanced, high-precision form of radiotherapy that can deliver an even dose of radiation, […]
New radiotherapy approach reduces symptoms of dry mouth in patients with head and neck cancers
Geneva, Switzerland: Researchers have shown for the first time that it is possible to reduce the distressing symptoms of dry mouth in patients treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancers if the radiation dose to a salivary gland (called the submandibular gland) on the opposite side to the tumour is kept to the minimum. […]
Two landmark studies report on success of using image-guided brachytherapy to treat cervical cancer
Geneva, Switzerland: Two large, landmark radiotherapy studies have shown that it is possible to treat cervical cancer effectively with high doses specifically adapted to each tumour, and with fewer serious side-effects to the surrounding normal organs. Two presentations at the 2nd Forum of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) show that image-guided brachytherapy […]
Mathematical models out-perform doctors in predicting cancer patients’ outcomes and responses to treatment
Geneva, Switzerland: Mathematical prediction models are better than doctors at predicting the outcomes and responses of lung cancer patients to treatment, according to new research presented at the 2nd Forum of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO). These differences apply even after the doctor has seen the patient, which can provide extra information, […]
Lung cancer set to overtake breast cancer as the main cause of cancer deaths among European women
Lung cancer is likely to overtake breast cancer as the main cause of cancer death among European women by the middle of this decade, according to new research published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. In the UK and Poland it has already overtaken breast cancer as the main cause of cancer deaths […]