Radiation Oncology

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to damage cancer cells' DNA and destroy their ability to divide and grow. It is delivered using linear accelerators, proton accelerators, metered cobalt-60 exposure, or brachytherapy where radioactive seeds are placed inside the patient on a temporary or permanent basis to kill cancer or relieve pain. The main radiation oncology society and annual conference is the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

non-small cell lung cancer tumor segmentation

Algorithm reduces NSCLC tumor segmentation times by 65%

In a close collaboration with radiation oncologists, experts trained their model on the CT lung images of 787 patients and tested it on the scans of more than 1,300 patients from external datasets.

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Radiation therapy more likely to cause second primary cancer in prostate cancer patients

The authors stated that their results should not deter providers from offering their patients radiotherapy treatment but rather encourage in-depth discussions and shared decisions pertaining to the best options.

lung cancer pulmonary nodule chest

Preoperative PET/CT imaging linked with better survival in advanced lung cancer

PET/CT imaging in these patients increases overall survival depending on the cancer’s stage, with those diagnosed with stage 3A and 3B NSCLC appearing to benefit the most from the exam. 

Radiomic model predicts radiotherapy outcomes for patients with brain metastases

The model performed well in assessing treatment responses, but experts explained that one of the most beneficial aspects of their model was that its results are interpretable in a “clinician-friendly way.” 

Targeted radionuclide alpha therapy study wins SNMMI's Abstract of the Year

The study touts the benefits of targeted radionuclide alpha therapy for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) who have not had success with other treatments.

High-intensity focused ultrasound effectively treats PCA, reduces side effects

Men with prostate cancer can avoid many of the unpleasant side effects of chemo, surgery and radiation therapy when they are treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound instead.

PSMA PET mapping improves radiation therapy contouring after PCA recurrence

Salvage radiation therapy guidelines for patients with prostate cancer recurrence need to be updated to include findings identified on PSMA PET, according to new research shared at SNMMI’s annual conference this week. 

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First ever full course of the latest MR-guided radiation therapy treatments completed at Henry Ford Health

The Detroit-based cancer institute achieved this landmark moment using the MRIdian A3i, which is the latest enhancement of the MRIdian system from ViewRay, Inc.

Around the web

The new technology shows early potential to make a significant impact on imaging workflows and patient care. 

Richard Heller III, MD, RSNA board member and senior VP of policy at Radiology Partners, offers an overview of policies in Congress that are directly impacting imaging.
 

The two companies aim to improve patient access to high-quality MRI scans by combining their artificial intelligence capabilities.