The number of cancer rehabilitation programs in Australia has more than doubled in the past decade, but availability remains limited, with many survivors struggling to get the support they need, according to researchers at La Trobe University. 

A new clinical trial report finds that stereotactic radiation therapy offers long-term survival outcomes comparable to surgery for patients with small, early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients in the study who received radiation also reported fewer side effects after treatment. Findings will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

Results of the NRG Oncology NRG-GU005 clinical study comparing stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to moderately hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (MH-IMRT) for patients with localized immediate risk prostate cancer indicate that the use of SBRT improved bowel health related quality of life (HRQOL) in this patient population. There was no significant improvement seen for the other primary objectives including urinary HRQOL and there was a lack of improvement in distant-free survival for patients.

Radiation therapy may offer a comparable and potentially safer alternative to repeat catheter ablation for patients with severe abnormal heart rhythms that can no longer be controlled with medication. In the first study to directly compare cardiac radiation with standard catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia, patients treated with cardiac radiation experienced fewer complications with similar effectiveness at controlling disease. Findings will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting and published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal).

The first randomized trial to compare photon- and proton-based radiation therapy for breast cancer finds that patients report equally strong health-related quality of life with either treatment. Patients who received proton therapy were more likely to say they would recommend or choose it again, but overall patient-reported outcomes were similar. First results of the phase III Radiotherapy Comparative Effectiveness (RadComp) trial will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

For patients with intermediate-risk, localized prostate cancer, radiation therapy delivered in five sessions reduced patient-reported side effects compared to longer courses of radiation, according to results of a large, randomized phase III trial. Patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) reported fewer declines in bowel, urinary and sexual functioning but were more likely to experience a rise in PSA. Initial results of the NRG Oncology GU005 trial will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

Researchers of the University of Freiburg Cluster of Excellence CIBSS demonstrate that an actin scaffold stabilizes the cell nucleus upon mechanical stress.

This protective mechanism helps cancer cells to avoid dying during their migration in the body.

In the long term, targeted interventions in this mechanism could help to prevent metastases.

A new phase III clinical trial finds that intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and proton beam therapy resulted in similar quality-of-life outcomes and low rates of side effects for people with locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer. The TORPEdO trial found no meaningful differences between the treatments in patient-reported quality of life, swallowing function or feeding tube dependence at one year. Results will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

Radiation therapy could be an underused tool to reduce pelvic relapse risk for patients with locally advanced, muscle-invasive bladder cancer, according to results of a new phase III randomized trial. In the study, moderate doses of radiation therapy after bladder removal surgery sharply cut the rates of cancer returning in the pelvis without adding serious side effects. Findings of the Bladder Adjuvant RadioTherapy (BART) trial will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

Findings of the Cancer Research UK-funded TORPEdO trial presented at the American Society of Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting. Results show that proton beam therapy delivers similar results to intensity-modulated radiotherapy for treating head and neck cancer. Charity calls for sustained investment in staff and equipment in forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England.