Cancer Research Journal » Radiology

Waukesha Memorial Hospital Webcasts Brain Cancer Panel

Lisa — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:45:03 +0000

Are you interested in learning more about brain cancer treatments?

On Wednesday, October 8, 2008, ORlive will webcast a panel of physicians discussing the case of a brain tumor patient treated with CyberKnife® technology.

ProHealth Care is presenting the panel discussion from Waukesha Memorial Hospital in Wisconsin. Radiation oncologist Nagrenda (Bobby) Koneru, MD, neuro-oncologist Hendrikus Krouwer, MD, PhD, and neurosurgeon Kenneth Reichert, MD, will participate in the roundtable discussion.

The meeting will be moderated by Michael McCrea, PhD, of ProHealth Care’s Neuroscience Center.

The public is invited to watch the live webcast free of charge beginning at 12:00 PM CDT. If you miss the live broadcast, you can view it later by accessing the ORlive archives.

If you’re a patient in the United States who’d like to learn more about brain cancer, there’s additional information available on the American Cancer Society web site.

NOTE: CyberKnife® is a registered trademark of Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ:ARAY).

Source: OR-Live.com

Brookhaven Finds Faster Way to Tag Formaldehyde

Lisa — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:27:31 +0000

Cancer researchers often use PET scanners to study chemical interactions taking place inside the human body. To conduct these investigations, scientists attach radioactive tags to common chemicals found in the body then monitor their movements using PET technology.

These radioactive tags, commonly called radiotracers, have greatly advanced the understanding of cancer and other diseases in recent years, but limitations in existing radiotracers have kept some PET research from moving forward.

In some cases, no methods have been found for tagging molecules scientists need to study. In other scenarios, the tagging process is so time-consuming that the carbon-11 used to create radiotracers decays before PET scans can be completed (Carbon-11’s radioactive signal decreases by half every 20.4 minutes – when the signal becomes too weak, the tags are longer visible on PET scans).

To help solve these problems, scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory came up with a faster, simpler way to tag formaldehyde. The process uses inexpensive, commercially-available starting ingredients, requires only basic equipment, and allows radiotracer production to be completed faster so carbon-11 signals are still strong enough to be detected when the human subject is placed in the PET.

Since formaldehyde is involved in many chemical reactions in the body, this innovation will permit scientists to create a whole new class of radiotracers for PET research.

BNL chemist Jacob Hooker led the international team which developed the new method. He is optimistic the technique will one day be used to create compounds that will bind with brain cell receptors. The team is already investigating how new carbon-11 formaldehyde radiotracers can be put to use monitoring the movement of drugs, proteins and enzymes that have an impact on gene expression, a key process in cancer development. As Dr Hooker said,

“…there is a huge need for basic science to develop new strategies for making radiotracers. Our new method is part of that effort. It expands our tool kit of reagents and increases the number and types of compounds we can use to peer into the human body.”

Dr Jacob M. Hooker
Chemist, BNL

If you’d like to learn more this research, it has been published in the July 4, 2008, online edition of Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Source: Brookhaven National Laboratory News

European Partnership Pursues Pocket-Sized Lasers

Lisa — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:38:38 +0000

Public and private organizations across Europe are joining forces to develop the next generation of biomedical lasers. The team’s goal is to expand laser use in the fields of medicine and research by making high-performance lasers smaller and less expensive.

The University of Dundee will lead the four-year project which is being funded by a 10.1M EUR grant from the European Commission. Other partners include the University of Sheffield, The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, M-Squared Lasers Ltd, Alcatel Thales, and Phillips. The group expects to devote nearly 100 man years of research to improve the efficiency of lasers used in cancer treatment, imaging, and research, as well as other applications. As one Dundee professor said,

“This project will revolutionise the use of lasers in the biomedical field, providing both practitioners and researchers with pocket sized ultra high performance lasers at a substantially lower cost which will make their widespread use affordable.”

Dr Edik Rafailov
Division of Electronic Engineering and Physics, University of Dundee (UK)

If you’re a patient in the US who’d like to learn more about how laser technology is used to treat cancer, you can read Lasers in Cancer Treatment from the American Cancer Society.

Source: University of Dundee

Castle Encourages Kids to Complete Cancer Treatments

Lisa — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:17:23 +0000

The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC) has come up with a fun way to encourage children to complete radiation treatments for cancer.

UMGCC’s Magic Castle program, which is funded by the Children’s Cancer Foundation, grants wishes to pediatric oncology patients who complete radiation therapies for childhood cancers. Prior to beginning treatment, each child places three written wishes inside the colorful Magic Castle and they’re told the castle’s princess will grant one of them after all the sessions are finished. Once the last radiation treatment is done, staff members and family members gather for a small party where the gift is presented to the child. Gifts typically include popular items like Game Boys, iPods and DVD players.

Dr William Regine was inspired to create the Magic Castle after seeing the positive impact of other wish granting programs being used at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As he said,

“It makes a difference. Some of these patients may not have gotten through their treatment otherwise, due to the high anxiety level associated with this type of treatment.”

Dr William Regine
Director of Radiation Oncology, UMGCC

If you’d like to learn more about the Magic Castle Program, you can contact UMGCC at 1-800-888-8823.

Source: Greenebaume Cancer Center Radiation Oncology Program

Technorati Tags: leukemia; bone cancer; retinoblastoma; rhabdomyosarcoma; lymphoma; Baltimore

Polymer Slime Protects Cancer-Killing Nanoworms

Lisa — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:00:34 +0000

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have made two discoveries which may benefit other scientists developing nanotechnologies to treat cancer.

Scientists and engineers around the world are working on designs for nanoscale machines to detect cancer and deliver targeted therapies inside the body. While several promising cancer-fighting nanodevices are already in the works, there’s been a big hurdle to overcome: the body’s immune system.

Microscopic drug-delivery devices need to be able to locate disease cells and dispense their treatment, but the human body’s natural defense mechanisms often locate these foreign objects and attack them before they can get their job done.

The UC/MIT team, which was led by Michael Sailor of UCSD, found they could string together several nanoscale iron oxide balls into a multi-jointed structure three million times smaller than an earthworm. Then they took this new nanoworm device and coated it with a slimy polymer coating containing F3 peptide, a tumor-targeting molecule.

The group’s mice studies showed the multi-ball design produced clearer images in diagnostic scans than single-ball devices, making it easier to see when the nanoworm latches on to a tumor. And the polymer coating helped the nanoworm escape the body’s defense mechanisms for up to 24 hours – long enough to locate cancer and deliver treatment.

While the team is pleased with their breakthroughs to date, they caution that many more studies will be needed to determine if these two new discoveries will work safely in human cancer patients. As the group’s leader said,

“You want it to stay long enough to find the tumors and do the damage, but once it’s done its job, you want it to leave.”

Michael J. Sailor, PhD
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCSD

If you’d like to learn more about this research, the findings have been published in the April 2008 online edition of the journal Advanced Materials.

Source: ABC News Technology and Science

Related Links: UC San Diego News Center; dosci.org

Technorati Tags: nanomedicine; oncology

South Africans Celebrate Arrival of Second PET-CT Scanner

Lisa — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:03:40 +0000

South African health officials are hoping the installation a new Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scanner will help them reduce cancer deaths in their country.

While PET-CT imaging devices are commonly used to diagnose cancer in US hospitals, this is only the second one available to patients in South Africa’s public hospitals.

Mr Brian Hlongwa, a representative from the Gauteng Health Department, presided at the machine’s unveiling ceremony where he spoke about the importance of early cancer detection. Cervical cancer alone kills more than 3,000 women in South Africa — often because the disease is not diagnosed until it’s in the advanced stages.

Mr Hlongwa added that the scanner will help bring local care in line with International Cancer Accreditation Standards. As he stated,

“Here is something to be proud of and let us use these resources wisely to help our people enjoy better life.”

Mr Brian Hlongwa
Provincial Health MEC, Gauteng Health Department

The newest PET-CT, which was launched at Pretoria Academic Hospital, will also serve Dr George Mukhari Hospital and the Kalafong Hospital as well as other treatment facilities in the region.

If you’d like to learn more about the cancer rates outside the United States, you can read a report published by the World Health Organization on April 1, 2008.

Source: allAfrica.com

Technorati Tags: international oncology; global health; cancer screening; radiology; x-rays

Anal Cancer Survivor is Fertile Again After Ovarian Implants

Lisa — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:48:59 +0000

German physicians have successfully used ovarian tissue implants to restore fertility to a 32-year-old cancer survivor who lost her ability to get pregnant after receiving treatments for anal cancer.

Knowing the tumor’s close proximity to reproductive organs increased the possibility of infertility, doctors at Erlangen University Hospital removed healthy ovarian tissue from the young woman before she began chemotherapy and radiation treatments in 2004.

The patient successfully conquered her cancer, but was left without menstrual cycles for two years. After hormone treatments failed to return the woman’s periods, Erlangen’s doctors re-inserted her own preserved ovarian tissue through her pelvis using an endoscopic procedure.

While the patient is not pregnant yet, menstruation has resumed and the doctors are publishing the information so more cancer patients and oncologists can learn about the technique.

If you’d like to read more, the case is published in the 2008 online edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.

Source: ScienceDaily

An Eco-Friendly Way to Study Radiation-Damaged DNA

Lisa — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:06:21 +0000

Scientists at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) have developed an environmentally friendly technique for determining which types of radiation exposure cause the most damage to human DNA – damage that can ultimately lead to cancer.

BNL scientists Betsy Sutherland and Brigitte Paap, who’s now at Arizona State University, devised a method which uses fluorescent tags rather than radioactive tags to analyze how different forms of radiation impact the cell repair process.

Their innovative method, which earned the team the “Best in Class” Pollution Prevention Award from the DOE Office of Science, reduces both the costs and the amount of hazardous materials produced by this type of research.

In addition to reducing waste, the team’s research technique revealed damage from high-energy forms of radiation (like rays found in outer space) caused damage at different locations on the DNA strand than low-energy types of radiations found in x-rays or gamma rays.

Further study suggested that lesions caused by high-energy radiation often had a greater impact on the DNA repair process than those caused by low-energy radiation because of their placement on the DNA strands.

Sutherland and Paap found that low-energy beams created higher numbers of damaged lesions located mainly on upstream portions of the DNA strands, while high-energy rays typically produced fewer lesions located downstream on the double helix.

But they were surprised to find that the body’s repair enzymes worked more effectively on lesions in upstream areas, so lesions in the downstream area of the strand caused more severe damage — even though they were fewer in number — because the damage wasn’t repaired.

Their discoveries are important because DNA damage that’s not repaired can trigger the out-of-control cell growth associated with tumors. As one of the scientists said,

“Understanding the effects on humans of radiation exposure – whether in the natural environment, in outer space, in the workplace, or due to radiation therapy – requires insight into the induction and repair of damage to DNA. It’s very rewarding to come up with a new technique that helps us understand this process while at the same time reducing the waste associated with traditional techniques.”

Betsy M. Sutherland
Brookhaven National Laboratory

If you’d like to learn more, results of Brookhaven’s research have been published in the March 19, 2008, edition of Nucleic Acids Research.

Source: BNL News

Raman Spectroscopy Sees Cancer at 1-Trillionth of a Meter

Lisa — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:18:14 +0000

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a new imaging system capable of detecting cancerous tumors a thousand times smaller than those visible to other medical imaging devices.

The innovative imaging technique, known as Raman spectroscopy, relies on beacon signals created by nanoparticles injected into the body. A laser light is beamed from outside the body causing the nanoparticles to emit data about their precise location. Scientists can then analyze the nanoparticle emissions to locate early cancer development or other biological events happening inside the body.

Stanford’s team reports that Raman spectroscopy is not only stronger and longer lasting than other molecular imaging methods, it also has the potential to provide information about dozens of different targets at the same time, rather than just one or two.

The researchers believe if the nanomedicine technique proves safe in humans it could eventually have the kind of impact positron emission tomography (PET) did when it was discovered decades ago. As the team’s leader said,

“Nobody understood the impact of PET then. Ten or fifteen years from now, people should appreciate the impact of this.”

Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD
Professor of Radiology,
Stanford University School of Medicine

Scientists at Gambhir’s lab are conducting further studies on Raman spectroscopy to investigate if the nanoparticles are toxic, how they travel through the body, and how they’re eventually excreted.

If you’d like to learn more about Raman spectroscopy, results from Stanford’s study have been published in the March 31, 2008, online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: Stanford School of Medicine News

Related Audio: A Unique View of Disease from Technology Review by MIT

Technorati Tags: diagnostic radiology; oncology; cancer testing

Kids with Kidney Cancer Get Good News from St Jude

Lisa — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:19:38 +0000

A study conducted at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital has shown that some kids with kidney cancers classified “inoperable” may actually be able to keep normal kidney function with the help of a surgical procedure called nephron-sparing surgery.

Between 1999 and 2006, St Jude conducted nephron-sparing surgery, otherwise known as partial nephrectomy, on 10 kidney cancer patients under age 10 with bilateral Wilms tumors. Although the tumors appeared inoperable on the preoperative imaging scans, surgeons found they were able to remove the malignant tumors while sparing enough healthy tissue to preserve the child’s renal function.

Children with bilateral Wilms tumors often have one or both kidneys removed in an attempt to eliminate the cancer. If both kidneys are removed, the child requires dialysis and a possible kidney transplant.

Approximately 500 children are diagnosed with Wilms tumors each year in the US and approximately 5 percent of them will have tumors in both kidneys.

All the patients included in the St Jude study successfully treated with nephron-sparing surgery had favorable cell characteristics (histology) as well as chemotherapy and radiation treatments – and all of them are still alive. Nine of them still exhibited normal renal function at their most recent exams. As the study’s senior author stated,

“Many times, physicians will look at a child’s scans and assume that it is impossible to remove the tumor while preserving some uninvolved kidney, but our study indicates that surgeons should not rely solely on the imaging to make that decision.”

Andrew M. Davidoff, MD
Division Chief, General Pediatric Surgery
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Authors from the University of Tennessee, Memphis, the University of Washington and the Children’s National Medical Center also participated in the study. If you’d like to learn more about their research, it has been published online in the March 24, 2008, edition of the journal Cancer.

Source: St Jude Children’s Research Hospital News

Related Links: NCI; stanfordstjude.com; ScienceDaily; medpagetoday.com; CNN

Technorati Tags: renal cell carcinoma; surgical oncology; rare diseases; ALSAC; nephroblastoma; cancer treatment