Silicon and diamond detectors are now commonly used to measure the energy deposited by ion beams in water during radiation therapy. This energy is described by a value called dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LET). The problem is that these detectors don't always give accurate readings. The reason is that the way we convert the measurements from the detectors to ...
Prostate cancer treatment is getting a makeover. A new trial called PROSEVEN is testing a faster way to deliver radiotherapy. Normally, this treatment takes a while. But now, doctors are trying to do it in just seven days. The idea is to use a special kind of radiotherapy called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). This method is precise and targets the tumor dire...
Prostate cancer treatment isn't always straightforward. After surgery, some patients might need additional treatment. This is because cancer cells can sometimes linger, leading to what doctors refer to as a biochemical recurrence. It's like trying to get rid of weeds in a garden, but some roots remain hidden. When cancer is detected at a more advanced stage, known a...
Breast cancer patients often face a tough decision after a mastectomy: should they opt for conventional or hypofractionated radiation therapy? This question has been the subject of recent studies. The focus is on the risks of secondary cancers in the opposite breast and the same-side lung. This is a big deal because radiation, while killing cancer cells, can also ...
Liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is a serious health issue worldwide. It is the most common type of liver cancer in adults and often leads to death in people with cirrhosis. Traditional treatments, like chemotherapy, come with many unwanted side effects. This has led researchers to seek safer and more effective alternatives. One promising a...
A new method of treating a type of eye cancer is being tested. This cancer is called choroidal malignant melanoma. It grows in the eye's choroid layer. The treatment uses carbon-ion radiotherapy with a rotating beam. This approach was started in March 2018 at a hospital in Japan. The goal was to see if this method is safe and effective. The team looked for patients ...
Cancer has become a significant health concern in the Philippines, ranking as the third leading cause of death. This stark reality highlights the urgent need for effective cancer treatments, particularly radiotherapy. However, the availability of these treatments varies greatly across different regions. This situation raises important questions about access to health...
Radiation therapy has come a long way. It now delivers precise and tailored treatments. But there's a catch. Doctors face hurdles in achieving high-resolution measurements. They also struggle with covering large areas and getting consistent results. This often means using several different tools to get the job done. So, what's the solution? Scientists are working on ...
Radiation treatment for prostate cancer has always been tricky. The way radiation beams interact with the body is complex. This makes planning the treatment tough. That is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in. AI has made treatment planning much faster. However, current AI methods have some problems. They often need lots of patient data to learn from. This dat...
Breast cancer patients often face a tough journey, especially after surgery and during radiotherapy. A recent study shed light on how specialized care can make a big difference. The research involved 102 patients who had their first radiation treatment between July 2021 and June 2022. These patients were split into two groups. One group received standard nursing care...