Accelerated radiotherapy more efficient than current practice

Latest study recommends accelerated radiotherapy for un-resected NSCLC patients

2013-09-05

(Press-News.org) DENVER – Radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy is increasingly being used in the curative treatment for un-resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). But, until now, researchers had not looked at the cost-effectiveness of the treatment. In the October issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's journal, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO), researchers compared the cost-effectiveness of different modified radiotherapy schemes and conventional fractional radiotherapy in the curative treatment of un-resected NSCLC patients. They conclude that, "accelerated radiotherapy is almost certainly more efficient than current practice and should be recommended as standard radiotherapy for the curative treatment of un-resected NSCLC patients not receiving concurrent chemo-radiotherapy." However, they did not arrive at a conclusion for which model is most cost-effective. The researchers looked at 10 randomized clinical trials with a population of un-resected NSCLC patients. These trials accrued a total of 2,000 patients between 1989 and 2006. Most patients were male, aged 60-69 years, had squamous cell carcinoma and stage III disease. They found it was uncertain which modified scheme is most cost-effective and it is unclear whether the study results can be extrapolated to modified radiotherapy combined with concomitant chemotherapy. Therefore, further research comparing the cost-effectiveness of different types of modified radiotherapy and examining the role of chemotherapy might be valuable. Despite this, the researchers say, "it is encouraged to adopt accelerated radiotherapy for the curative treatment of un-resected NSCLC patients who do not receive concurrent chemo-radiotherapy and examine its role in the context of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy." ### The lead author is Dr. Bram Ramaekers. Dr. Jean-Pierre Pignon, Dr. Cecile Le Pechoux and Dr. Dirk De Ruysscher are co-authors and IASLC members. About the IASLC: The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated to the study of lung cancer. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 3,500 lung cancer specialists in 80 countries. To learn more about IASLC please visit http://www.iaslc.org. END

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Chemotherapy helps elderly patients with small cell lung cancer

2013-09-05

DENVER – Although numerous randomized clinical trials have demonstrated a benefit of chemotherapy for patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), these trials have predominantly compared different chemotherapy regimens rather than comparing chemotherapy to best supportive care. Some of them included chest radiation or prophylactic cranial irradiation. Moreover, many trials excluded elderly patients. A recent retrospective study looked at the benefit of chemotherapy on survival of elderly patients with SCLC in the community. This is the first large-scale analysis of chemotherapy ...

Researchers study survival in African American versus Caucasian lung cancer patients

2013-09-05

DENVER – According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 160,340 lung cancer deaths occurred in the United States in 2012, accounting for 28 percent of all cancer deaths. While survival from lung cancer has improved since the early 1990s, racial differences in lung cancer survival persist such that blacks experience poorer 5-year survival for lung cancer compared to whites. In the October issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's journal, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO), researchers conclude that while proportionally more blacks ...

Swallowing exercises preserve function in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation

2013-09-05

A study at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found that head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation as part of their treatment were less likely to need a feeding tube or suffer unwanted side effects such as worsening of diet or narrowing of the throat passage if they performed a set of prescribed swallowing exercises — called a "swallow preservation protocol" — during therapy. The study, conducted from 2007 to 2012, was led by Dr. Marilene Wang, a member of the Jonsson Cancer Center and professor-in-residence in the department of head and neck surgery ...

Youthful stem cells from bone can heal the heart, Temple scientists report

2013-09-05

(Philadelphia, PA) - Many people who survive a heart attack find themselves back in the hospital with a failing heart just years later. And the outcome often is unfavorable, owing to limited treatment options. But scientists at Temple University School of Medicine's Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) recently found hope in an unlikely source – stem cells in cortical, or compact, bone. In a new study, they show that when it comes to the regeneration of heart tissue, these novel bone-derived cells do a better job than the heart's own stem cells. According to the study's ...

Data suggests Abbott's test may help more accurately diagnose heart attacks in women

2013-09-05

AMSTERDAM, Sept. 4, 2013 – Abbott announced today promising preliminary results from a study presented at the ESC Congress 2013, suggesting that its high sensitive troponin test may help doctors improve the diagnosis and prognosis of patients presenting with symptoms of a heart attack.1 The test could be particularly beneficial for women, who may have different presenting symptoms and are often under-diagnosed.2 The study, which is being conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, is evaluating Abbott's ARCHITECT STAT High Sensitive Troponin-I (hsTnI) test, ...

Juniper essential oil characteristics determined

2013-09-05

SHERIDAN, WY—Throughout the western United States, Canada, and Mexico, Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.) is known for its pleasant fragrance and valuable wood. The juniper's wood—highly valued for its durability, rich color, and pleasant aroma—is popular for use as interior paneling, furniture, and fence posts. For centuries, the leaves and berries of Rocky Mountain juniper, which contain strongly aromatic essential oil, have been used extensively by native people of North America to treat a number of medical conditions. A recent study evaluated several ...

New study informs blueberry flavor selection

2013-09-05

GAINESVILLE, FL—The University of Florida's (UF) Blueberry Breeding Program has been developing successful blueberry cultivars for more than 60 years. The cultivars released from UF are credited with creating a Florida blueberry industry that was valued at $48 million in 2010, and allowing rapid expansion of blueberry production in other subtropical areas of the world. In the past, blueberry flavor selection in the program was based on two standards: subjective ratings from breeders, and a berry's sugar-to-acid ratio. Recently, scientists have determined that the "eating ...

LSU psychologist discovers intricacies about lying

2013-09-05

BATON ROUGE – What happens when you tell a lie? Set aside your ethical concerns for a moment—after all, lying is a habit we practice with astonishing dexterity and frequency, whether we realize it or not. What goes on in your brain when you willfully deceive someone? And what happens later, when you attempt to access the memory of your deceit? How you remember a lie may be impacted profoundly by how you lie, according to a new study by LSU Associate Professor Sean Lane and former graduate student Kathleen Vieria. The study, accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied ...

Your finger's pulse holds the key to your heart's health

2013-09-05

A University of Iowa physiologist has a new technique to measure the stiffness of the aorta, a common risk factor for heart disease. And it can be as simple as measuring the pulse in your finger. The new procedure developed by Gary Pierce, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology, works by placing an instrument called a transducer on the finger or over the brachial artery, located inside the arm just beneath the elbow. The readout, combined with a person's age and body mass index, lets physicians know whether the aorta has stiffened. Currently, ...

Wetlands could be key in revitalizing acid streams, UT Arlington researchers say

2013-09-05

A team of University of Texas at Arlington biologists working with the U.S. Geological Survey has found that watershed wetlands can serve as a natural source for the improvement of streams polluted by acid rain. The group, led by associate professor of biology Sophia Passy, also contends that recent increases in the level of organic matter in surface waters in regions of North America and Europe – also known as "brownification" – holds benefits for aquatic ecosystems. The research team's work appeared in the September issue of the journal Global Change Biology. The ...

Accelerated radiotherapy more efficient than current practice

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