STUDIES ADVANCING HOW ONCOLOGISTS
TREAT CANCER
~ Cutting Edge Research
Presented at ASTRO Annual Meeting, October 2 to 6 ~
September 2011
(Miami, FL) – New cancer research
is being introduced at the American Society for Radiation
Oncology’s (ASTRO) 53rd Annual Meeting from October
2 to 6, 2011, in Miami that will impact patients across
the country. More than 11,000 attendees are expected,
including many international participants. At the conference,
attendees receive state-of-the-art educational courses
targeted specifically to radiation oncology as well
as surgical and medical oncology. Breakthrough cancer
research is presented at more than 200 concurrent sessions
and several general sessions, with more than 1,400 posters
presented throughout the meeting.
Cutting edge research includes
the impact of vitamin D deficiency and the impact of
this common condition in cancer patients. Researchers
find more than three-quarters of cancer patients have
insufficient levels of vitamin D and the lowest levels
are associated with more advanced cancer. Researchers
are just starting to examine how vitamin D may impact
specific features of cancer, such as the stage or extent
of tumor spread, prognosis, recurrence or relapse of
disease, and even sub-types of cancer.
Another study addresses cancer
physicians reaching out to bereaved family and caregivers.
Researchers find while the majority (70 percent) of
surveyed cancer care physicians initiate contact with
the bereaved family and caregivers of their patients
who have died, over two-thirds do not feel they have
received adequate training in these activities during
their residency or fellowship. It is only recently that
studies have begun to look at actual physician practices
following a patient’s death.
Other highlights include:
-
Men with localized prostate cancer treated with
a newer technology, intensity modulated radiation
therapy (IMRT), have more than a quarter (26 percent)
fewer late bowel and rectal side effects and a statistically
improved lower dose of radiation to the bladder
and rectum, compared to those who undergo 3D-CRT
-
A study on chemotherapy plus radiation before surgery
increasing tumor response. For rectal cancer, a
new “CAP50” regimen easier for patient, less toxic
at three year mark.
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