The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements convened an expert scientific committee to review and make recommendations on the association between radiotherapy (RT) and second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). It concluded that SMNs and CVD are among the most serious late adverse effects experienced by cancer survivors and their risks should be further evaluated, according to a summary of NCRP's recommendations published in the March 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Women with a high percentage of dense breast tissue are at a greater risk of breast cancer recurrence and density should be taken into account during screening and when making treatment decisions, according to research presented March 21 at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8) in Vienna.

Radiotherapy treatment (RT) after surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has a major protective effect against recurrence more than 15 years later, according to the results of an international trial presented March 22 at the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8).

The first 20 years of the Dutch population-based mammography breast cancer screening program have contributed to a drop in deaths from the disease while limiting screening harms such as false positives and overdiagnosis, according to study results reported at the Eighth European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8) in Vienna.

As researchers and clinicians attempt to discern the impact of mammography screening and relative contributions of screening and treatment to mortality improvements, a Dutch study demonstrates both screening and treatment contribute to reduced mortality. Even with improved treatments for the disease, population-based mammography programs still save a significant number of lives, according to a study evaluating the effectiveness of breast cancer screening presented March 21 at the Eighth European Breast Cancer Conference in Vienna.

U.S. cervical cancer screening services are not as cost-effective as the centralized system in The Netherlands, with U.S. women receiving three to four times more screenings while mortality rates in the two countries remain similar, according to research published in the March issue of the Milbank Quarterly.

There is significant variability in chemoembolization use and technique among interventional radiologists (IRs) suggesting the need for continued clinical investigations to further optimize and standardize transcatheter therapies for liver tumors, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

A bipartisan foursome has crafted a Senate bill that would arm the FDA for stronger oversight of medical devices while also pushing it into action.