(Press-News.org) The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has developed a guideline for the use of external beam radiation therapy, endobronchial brachytherapy and concurrent chemotherapy to palliate thoracic symptoms caused by advanced lung cancer. The guideline will be published in Practical Radiation Oncology, an official journal of ASTRO.
Many patients whose lung cancer has spread receive radiation therapy to treat symptoms related to cancer, such as cough, shortness of breath, bronchial obstruction and chest pain. However, the exact treatment approach can vary from doctor to doctor. This variation caused the Guidelines Subcommittee of ASTRO's Clinical Affairs and Quality Committee (CAQC) to identify the use of palliative thoracic (or chest) radiation therapy as a high-priority topic needing an evidence-based guideline.
This panel was co-chaired by George Rodrigues, MD, MSc, a radiation oncologist and clinician scientist at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, Canada, and Benjamin Movsas, MD, chairman of radiation oncology at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.
"Radiation therapy can be extremely helpful to alleviate symptoms caused by lung cancer, such as shortness of breath and chest pain," Dr. Rodrigues said.
ASTRO's Board of Directors then put together a multidisciplinary task force that was charged with reviewing and synthesizing the current evidence to develop a guideline to help radiation oncologists determine the appropriate use of external beam radiation therapy, endobronchial brachytherapy and concurrent chemotherapy for palliative intent for lung cancer patients.
The task force's main findings are:
1. Various regimens of thoracic external beam radiation therapy are very effective for palliation of symptoms, with moderately higher dose regimens associated with a modest improvement in survival for selected patients primarily with good performance status.
2. There is no evidence to recommend the use of endobronchial brachytherapy in the routine initial palliative management of lung cancer. Endobronchial brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy used to treat lung cancer in or near the patient's airway.
3. There is no added benefit to patients to use chemotherapy at the same time as radiation therapy in the relief of thoracic symptoms for lung cancer patients. However, optimally integrating sequential chemotherapy and radiation therapy is important in the management of lung cancer symptoms.
Dr. Movsas said, "It is our hope that this evidence-based guideline will help doctors determine the optimal palliative radiation treatments for lung cancer patients, thereby yielding improved quality of life."
###
For a copy of the guideline, visit www.astro.org/research.
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy. For more information on radiation therapy, visit www.rtanswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org. END
ASTRO publishes evidence-based guideline for thoracic radiotherapy
2011-04-28
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
NASA mission seeks to uncover a rainfall mystery
2011-04-28
Scientists from NASA and other organizations are on a mission to unlock the mysteries of why certain clouds produce copious amounts of rain. In a field mission that is now under way, aircraft are carrying instruments above and into rain clouds. Meanwhile scientists are also getting rainfall measurements on the ground.
This field campaign provides the most comprehensive observations of rainfall in the U.S. through the use of aircraft, spacecraft, remote sensing and ground sensors.
Convective clouds are the focus of a NASA mission that runs from April to June, 2011. Convective ...
Prudential Reveals More Than A Third Are Delaying Retirement
2011-04-28
Prudential has revealed that more than a third of people are delaying their retirement and putting their dreams on hold.
More than a third (38 per cent) of people due to retire in 2011 are cancelling their plans and delaying retirement and working longer, and a significant proportion (22 per cent) of these are doing so because they can't afford to stop working.
The findings, from Prudential's Class of 2011 study, revealed that those delaying retirement this year for financial reasons, had, on average, hoped to stop working at age 62 but now expect to be 68 years ...
Topshop Launches Dress Up Topshop Collection
2011-04-28
Topshop has launched its new party dress collection called Dress Up Topshop.
This debut collection of 12 statement dresses offers irreverent fun in a range of colours, shapes and styles. The collection brings the Topshop flavour to dresses that to wear with confidence by those who know how to get noticed.
Each dress has its own character suiting any mood and any event, whether it's for a gig or a glam function, these dresses embrace experimentation and allow for styling and an individual approach.
The collection features a black leather dress with gold studding, ...
Social media can alter research priorities, according to paper in Nature
2011-04-28
TORONTO, Ont., April 27, 2011 –- Widespread demands in Canada for clinical trials for a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis show the growing power of the Internet and social media to influence research priorities, according to a paper published today in Nature.
Paulo Zamboni, an Italian surgeon, suggested in 2008 that MS was not an autoimmune disease but rather a vascular disease caused by blockages in the brain. He proposed unblocking the veins by mechanically widening them – what he calls the "liberation procedure."
His hypothesis got little public attention, ...
Exploring the superconducting transition in ultra thin films
2011-04-28
UPTON, NY -- Like atomic-level bricklayers, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory are using a precise atom-by-atom layering technique to fabricate an ultrathin transistor-like field effect device to study the conditions that turn insulating materials into high-temperature superconductors. The technical break-through, which is described in the April 28, 2011, issue of Nature, is already leading to advances in understanding high-temperature superconductivity, and could also accelerate the development of resistance-free electronic ...
Choice Hotels Opens New Comfort Hotel in London
2011-04-28
Choice Hotels International, the global hotel group behind the Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands and one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world, has announced the opening of the Comfort Inn Hyde Park, bringing the number of Choice-branded hotels in London to eighteen.
Previously independently run as the Park Lodge Hotel, the re-branded Comfort Inn Hyde Park has 29 newly re-furbished guest bedrooms, all with modern en-suites and featuring flat screen LCD televisions, free wi-fi, and tea and coffee making facilities. Guests also benefit from ...
Scorpion venom -– bad for bugs, good for pesticides
2011-04-28
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Fables have long cast scorpions as bad-natured killers of hapless turtles that naively agree to ferry them across rivers. Michigan State University scientists, however, see them in a different light.
Ke Dong, MSU insect toxicologist and neurobiologist, studied the effects of scorpion venom with the hopes of finding new ways to protect plants from bugs. The results, which are published in the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, have revealed new ways in which the venom works.
Past research identified scorpion toxin's usefulness ...
What can movie stars tell us about marriage? That education matters, study finds
2011-04-28
Movie stars: Is there anything they can't tell us?
According to a study published in the Spring issue of the Journal of Human Capital, marriages among movie stars can help unravel the reasons why people tend to marry partners of similar education levels.
Social scientists have known for years that married people tend to be sorted by their levels of education, but the reasons for it have been elusive. It could be all about money. People may assume that a partner with similar education will have a salary that matches theirs. Or it could have to do with lifestyle factors. ...
Reliant Technology Announces EMC CLARiiON CX Continuity Program
2011-04-28
EMC SAN provider Reliant Technology is pleased to announce the EMC CLARiiON CX3 Continuity Program. The program is designed to enable EMC storage customers with EMC CLARiiON CX3 Series systems to continue to support and upgrade their End-of-Life Systems.
With EMC focusing its efforts on newer product lines, EMC CLARiiON CX3 customers are finding it difficult to obtain manufacturer support for their systems. As EMC refuses to support CX3 systems or charges expensive premiums for system support, Reliant Technology is a cost-effective option for EMC CLARiiON customers who ...
Threading the climate needle: The Agulhas current system
2011-04-28
The Agulhas Current which runs along the east coast of Africa may not be as well known as its counterpart in the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream. But now researchers are taking a closer look at this current and its "leakage" from the Indian Ocean into the Atlantic Ocean--and what that may mean for climate change
In results of a study published in this week's issue of the journal Nature, a team of scientists led by University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Oceanographer Lisa Beal, suggests that Agulhas leakage could be a significant player in global ...