Ochsner MD Anderson to be first in the southern U.S. to offer precision cancer radiation treatment
Building on Ochsner MD Anderson’s record of offering high quality care in Louisiana, this new therapy promises to both improve treatment outcomes and reduce radiation side effects for patients
2026-03-10
(Press-News.org) NEW ORLEANS - Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in New Orleans will soon be one of only eight cancer treatment facilities in the world, and the first in the South, to offer biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT), a breakthrough treatment currently FDA approved for patients diagnosed with primary or metastatic tumors to lung and bone. The new treatment uses the unique biology of the cancer itself to guide radiotherapy delivery, even in tumors that are in motion.
“Biology-guided radiotherapy marks a significant advancement in enhancing the precision of radiation treatment, offering improved control over tumor motion and the potential to lower radiation toxicity. This approach aims to provide more focused, accurate treatment with fewer side effects for our patients,” said Troy G. Scroggins Jr., MD, chair of radiation oncology, Ochsner MD Anderson. “We are leading a transformative shift in cancer care. With this treatment, we can broaden the scope of radiotherapy beyond early-stage cancers to include potential treatment for metastatic disease and bring precision oncology closer to reality for our patients.”
The machine that administers the BgRT therapy has been installed at Ochsner Baptist, one of eight Ochsner MD Anderson locations. It is the first platform to combine PET (positron-emission tomography) imaging technology—the gold standard for cancer staging and imaging—with a linear accelerator (LINAC) to deliver a radiation dose that tracks the cancer’s motion in real-time.
Just before treatment, a patient is injected with a radiopharmaceutical, which is consumed by the cancer cells. As this happens, signals are produced from the tumor. This new technology uses these signals from the patient’s cancer cells to then determine where and how much radiation to deliver, second by second, during actual treatment delivery. The therapy essentially uses the biological activity of the cancer to destroy it.
By tracking the delivery of the radiation dose to the cancer cells in real-time during treatment—like a spotlight following the tumor—it shifts the dose in response to tumor motion and reduces the volume of tissue that receives radiation.
This BgRT therapy is engineered to treat multiple tumors in the same treatment plan while sparing healthy tissue, resulting in less toxicity for the patient. This new treatment will soon be available to eligible patients from across the region.
Ochsner MD Anderson continues its ongoing commitment to leading-edge cancer care, empowering patients and families with access to some of the latest, most promising treatments. Cancer care at Ochsner Health is recognized by U.S. News & World Report, ranking as high performing in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma treatment and colon, lung, gynecological and prostate cancer surgeries. The Ochsner Cancer Institute treats more than 40,000 patients each year and has cared for patients from all 50 states and 28 countries. Each patient’s care team can include as many as 20 multidisciplinary cancer specialists working together to provide high-quality treatment.
To learn more about Ochsner MD Anderson and the treatment options available to patients, please visit ochsner.org/cancercare.
###
About Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center
Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center combines the expertise of Ochsner Health, Louisiana’s leader in cancer care, with the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. As the only fully integrated cancer program in Louisiana based on MD Anderson’s standards and protocols, it offers patients access to cutting-edge treatments, innovative clinical trials, and personalized care plans. With a multidisciplinary team of specialists and advanced technology, Ochsner MD Anderson provides comprehensive care for both common and rare cancers across multiple locations in southeastern Louisiana. This partnership ensures patients receive expert cancer care close to home.
About Ochsner Health
Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. Ochsner is nationally recognized for inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through expertise, quality and digital connectivity. In 2025, more than 40,000 dedicated team members and 5,000 employed and affiliated physicians at Ochsner cared for more than 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 65 countries. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit www.ochsner.org.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2026-03-10
Most lethal mutations in wild fruit flies are driven by newly transferred jumping genes, not small DNA errors, according to a new study from Duke University.
The findings, published in PLOS Biology, challenge decades of assumptions in evolutionary genetics and may have implications for population health and conservation.
“Almost every individual of any species studied has at least one lethal mutation,” said lead author Sarah Marion, who began this work as a biology graduate student at Duke and is now a postdoctoral researcher at Reed College. “I thought, how is that ...
2026-03-10
As the United States continues to lead global oil and gas production—accounting for roughly 20% of worldwide output in 2024—understanding how different extraction methods affect ecosystems has never been more urgent. A new study in ACS ES&T Water offers new clarity: conventional, often decades-old oil-and-gas infrastructure leaves a deeper, more persistent mark on freshwater biodiversity than unconventional shale (fracking) development.
The research was conducted by a multi-institutional team led by Ryan Olivier-Meehan, a former undergraduate and now a graduate student in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) in the College of ...
2026-03-10
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Biomaterials are specifically engineered to support tissue, nerve and muscle regeneration across the body, yet physicians and researchers have limited control over the size and connectivity of the internal pores that transfer oxygen and vital nutrients to where they are most needed. To solve this problem and better support tissue regeneration, a team at Penn State has designed a new class of tunable biomaterials.
Led by corresponding author Amir Sheikhi, the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biomaterials and Regenerative Engineering and associate professor of chemical engineering, the team developed a highly ...
2026-03-10
VANCOUVER - March 8, 2026 - Learning French, reading the latest Andy Weir novel, hanging out with friends for St. Patrick’s Day — language is central to all these everyday activities. Seemingly effortless from childhood, language, it turns out, is quite complex, not constrained to one set of genes or one region in the brain. Cognitive neuroscientists are now using a diverse arsenal of tools, including novel genetic analyses and AI, to gain insights into both healthy and disordered communication across individuals.
“We still tend ...
2026-03-10
We are excited to share an important milestone for the NR2F1 Foundation: Leora Westbrook has joined our organization as our first Executive Director.
Since the Foundation was established in 2018, our work has been driven entirely by families and volunteers dedicated to advancing research, supporting families, and building a global community affected by Bosch–Boonstra–Schaaf Optic Atrophy Syndrome (BBSOAS). Together, we have built something truly special, powered by determination, collaboration, ...
2026-03-10
Researchers have developed a microscopic 3D-printed optical device that can efficiently combine light from dozens of small semiconductor lasers into a single multimode optical fiber with very low loss. The team demonstrated photonic lanterns that multiplex 7, 19, and 37 multimode VCSEL lasers directly into a fiber while preserving brightness and easing alignment constraints. By enabling scalable incoherent beam combining of many multimode lasers, the technology could simplify and improve high-power laser systems, optical communications, and other ...
2026-03-10
Analysis of a large, nationally representative survey shows that stroke survivors under age 50 have more problems concentrating and running errands and experience more poor mental health days than older stroke survivors do.
Younger survivors who were not working faced the greatest challenges in their recovery. The study comes as stroke rates among younger people have increased rapidly in recent years, driven in part by sedentary lifestyles and rising obesity rates.
The researchers behind the study say that ...
2026-03-10
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, spearheaded by generative AI, is expanding into various spheres of society, including the labour market. A study conducted by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and published as open access has examined the occupational health and safety implications of this technology.
"Artificial intelligence is already making decisions that directly affect the way we work and how we feel at work, often without adequate consideration of the consequences for people," said Xavier Baraza, dean of the UOC's Faculty ...
2026-03-10
Study found men with low testosterone levels were associated with a 60% higher likelihood that prostate cancer managed on active surveillance would progress to a more aggressive state over time
Research challenges the long-held belief that high testosterone fuels early-stage prostate cancer growth, suggesting instead that low testosterone may be associated with prostate cancer progression
Baseline testosterone may ...
2026-03-10
New analysis of ancient parrot DNA has revealed vibrant Amazonian parrots were transported alive across the Andes to coastal Peru centuries before the Inca Empire, highlighting a sophisticated pre-Inca, long-distance trade network spanning rainforest, highlands and deserts.
The international team of researchers, including scientists from The Australian National University (ANU), analysed parrot feathers that were discovered at Pachacamac, Peru – one of the preeminent religious centres of the Andean civilisation – ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Ochsner MD Anderson to be first in the southern U.S. to offer precision cancer radiation treatment
Building on Ochsner MD Anderson’s record of offering high quality care in Louisiana, this new therapy promises to both improve treatment outcomes and reduce radiation side effects for patients
