Brachytherapy

In the War on Cancer, Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute Employs AI in its Newly Established Center for Precision Radiosurgery

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 25, 2024

TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Going under the knife is taking on a new and more promising meaning at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute, where doctors are using a sophisticated AI-driven tool to treat cancer.

Key Points: 
  • TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Going under the knife is taking on a new and more promising meaning at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute , where doctors are using a sophisticated AI-driven tool to treat cancer.
  • It is capable of treating cancerous and benign tumors throughout the body, as well as neurologic disorders, in as little as 15 minutes.
  • The tool, through its speed and advanced precision, is expected to expand the capabilities of Tampa General Cancer Institute's newly established Center for Precision Radiosurgery, said Dr. Richard Tuli, professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, deputy director of the TGH Cancer Institute, and director of Radiation Oncology at Tampa General.
  • Tuli joined TGH from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, N.Y.
    "It's another example of providing our patients with the best possible care across the Tampa Bay region and the state,'' he said.

FDA Approves Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Chemoradiotherapy as Treatment for Patients With FIGO 2014 Stage III-IVA Cervical Cancer

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 12, 2024

Important immune-mediated adverse reactions listed here may not include all possible severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions.

Key Points: 
  • Important immune-mediated adverse reactions listed here may not include all possible severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions.
  • “Building on the established role of KEYTRUDA in advanced cervical cancer, KEYTRUDA plus chemoradiotherapy is now the first anti-PD-1-based regimen approved in the U.S. for the treatment of patients with FIGO 2014 Stage III-IVA cervical cancer regardless of PD-L1 expression,” said Dr. Gursel Aktan, vice president, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories.
  • The trial enrolled 1,060 patients with cervical cancer who had not previously received any definitive surgery, radiation, or systemic therapy for cervical cancer.
  • In the exploratory subgroup analysis of 596 patients with FIGO 2014 Stage III-IVA disease, 61 patients (21%) in the KEYTRUDA plus CRT arm (n=293) experienced a PFS event versus 94 patients (31%) in the placebo plus CRT arm (n=303).

Radiation therapy takes advantage of cancer's poor DNA repair abilities – an oncologist and physicist explain how

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Ionizing radiation, or the emission of high-energy waves or particles, works as a therapy by damaging a cancer cell’s DNA.

Key Points: 
  • Ionizing radiation, or the emission of high-energy waves or particles, works as a therapy by damaging a cancer cell’s DNA.
  • It’s an effective tool for killing cancer cells because they are generally much less adept at DNA repair compared to healthy cells.
  • Damaging specific parts of DNA prevents cancer cells from reproducing, effectively killing them.

Fundamentals of radiation therapy

  • At the heart of radiation therapy lies the fundamental principle that cancer cells are more susceptible to radiation than healthy cells.
  • Sometimes resistance to radiation in cancer cells may be comparable or even greater than that of their neighboring cells.
  • When tumors lie close to vital organs that are highly sensitive to radiation, such as the brain or the bowels, it significantly limits the amount of radiation that can be delivered.

External beam radiation therapy

  • External beam radiation involves directing radiation from an outside source to a single part of the body.
  • Another form of radiotherapy is proton beam therapy, or PBT, which directs protons instead of X-rays at tumors.

Image-guided radiation therapy

  • By acting as the eyes of the care team, imaging reduced uncertainty about the location of tumors and improved the precision and accuracy of radiation therapy.
  • Newer linear accelerators are now incorporating MRIs, which significantly improve visualization of patient anatomy and tumors, further advancing treatment precision and accuracy.


Researchers are also adding positron emission tomography, or PET, scanners that provide information about the metabolic function of tumors. This advance makes it possible to increase the radiation dose specifically at the most active areas of tumors.

Adaptive therapy

  • An emerging approach to radiation therapy called adaptive therapy uses imaging to dynamically adjust treatment as the tumor or its positioning changes each day.
  • However, adaptive therapy may apply several adjustments or lead to a completely new treatment plan in order to address changes to the tumor’s condition over the course of treatment.
  • The fact that the process needs to be repeated multiple times renders adaptive therapy particularly resource-intensive and time-consuming.

Brachytherapy

  • Brachytherapy – stemming from the Greek word “brachys,” meaning “short” – is another widely used method in radiation therapy.
  • In contrast to external beam radiation therapy, where radiation often must pass through healthy tissue to reach cancer cells, brachytherapy applies radiation directly to the tumor.
  • The conventional approach to brachytherapy involved using needles to place or inject radioactive seeds inside or adjacent to the cancerous tissue.
  • An increasingly popular form of brachytherapy called high-dose rate brachytherapy involves using a tube to guide a more highly radioactive seed directly to the affected tissue before removing it after a few minutes.

Future of radiation therapy

  • Researchers are also exploring treatments using ions heavier than protons to more effectively damage DNA in cancer cells and enhance the efficacy of radiation therapy.
  • Advances in the field hint at a future of more personalized radiation therapy, highlighting the fusion of technology and medical expertise in the fight against cancer.


The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Perspective Therapeutics Divests Brachytherapy Business

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, December 12, 2023

SEATTLE, Dec. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perspective Therapeutics, Inc. (“Perspective” or “the Company”) (NYSE AMERICAN: CATX), today announced it agreed to fully divest its brachytherapy business, including its radioactive Cesium-131 seed assets and related business infrastructure, to GT Medical Technologies, Inc. (“GT Medical”).

Key Points: 
  • SEATTLE, Dec. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perspective Therapeutics, Inc. (“Perspective” or “the Company”) (NYSE AMERICAN: CATX), today announced it agreed to fully divest its brachytherapy business, including its radioactive Cesium-131 seed assets and related business infrastructure, to GT Medical Technologies, Inc. (“GT Medical”).
  • “At Perspective Therapeutics, we are relentlessly focused on realizing the therapeutic potential for the best possible isotopes that can be used to benefit patients with difficult-to-treat oncological indications," said Perspective Therapeutics CEO Thijs Spoor.
  • “The sale of our brachytherapy business marks a key strategic re-prioritization that allows us to focus on and dedicate resources towards accelerating the clinical development of our proprietary alpha-particle therapy portfolio.
  • “As a longstanding customer, we are impressed by the infrastructure that Perspective Therapeutics established for its Cesium-131 brachytherapy business,” said GT Medical Technologies CEO Matthew Likens.

Perspective Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2023 Results and Recent Business Highlights

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Two additional patients were enrolled in the third quarter for a total of 9 GEP-NET patients and 2 medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) patients.

Key Points: 
  • Two additional patients were enrolled in the third quarter for a total of 9 GEP-NET patients and 2 medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) patients.
  • Third quarter 2023 revenue was the highest since the second quarter of 2022, with a return to growth over the third quarter of 2022.
  • Total operating expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 were $11.3 million, compared to $4.6 million for the same period in 2022, an increase of 144%.
  • Cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2023 was $18.0 million as compared to $43.9 million on December 31, 2022.

Radiotherapy Market Worth $8.8 Billion | MarketsandMarkets

Retrieved on: 
Friday, November 10, 2023

The external beam radiotherapy segment, by procedure, is expected to register the largest market share of the global radiotherapy systems market in 2023.

Key Points: 
  • The external beam radiotherapy segment, by procedure, is expected to register the largest market share of the global radiotherapy systems market in 2023.
  • Based on procedure, the radiotherapy market is segmented into external beam radiotherapy, internal beam radiotherapy/brachytherapy, and systemic radiotherapy.
  • Additionally rising medical tourism and entry of major market players in the Asia Pacific countries are likely to support the radiotherapy market growth in APAC.
  • ·  Newer and improved representation of financial information: In the latest edition of the Radiotherapy  market report, the market ranking analysis of top players in the Radiotherapy  market has been provided for base year (2022) by extensively studying the financial revenues generated by the major players operating in the Radiotherapy  market.

Alimera Sciences Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 26, 2023

Segment

Key Points: 
  • Segment
    ATLANTA, Oct. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alimera Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALIM) (“Alimera”), a global pharmaceutical company whose mission is to be invaluable to patients, physicians, and partners concerned with retinal health and maintaining better vision longer, today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2023.
  • Alimera will host a conference call today at 9:00 a.m. EDT to discuss these results.
  • As of September 30, 2023, Alimera had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $8.3 million, compared to $18.8 million on June 30, 2023.
  • All callers should dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and ask to be joined into the Alimera Sciences call.

iCAD, Inc. Announces Sale of Xoft, its Brachytherapy Business Line, to Elekta

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 23, 2023

Elekta is taking over the business effective immediately and will make final payment no later than November 6, 2023.

Key Points: 
  • Elekta is taking over the business effective immediately and will make final payment no later than November 6, 2023.
  • By acquiring the Xoft® Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy (eBx®) System®, Elekta will be able to offer electronic brachytherapy technology to provide expanded access to treatment for a range of cancers.
  • Xoft's unique technology provides targeted cancer care expertly tailored to meet patients’ personalized needs.
  • We are pleased that Elekta will be acquiring the Xoft subsidiary including both the technology and team,” said Dana Brown, President & CEO of iCAD.

Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Significantly Improved Progression-Free Survival (PFS) Versus Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Alone in Newly Diagnosed, High-Risk Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

Retrieved on: 
Friday, October 20, 2023

Results from the trial showed that KEYTRUDA in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared to concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone for these patients.

Key Points: 
  • Results from the trial showed that KEYTRUDA in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared to concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone for these patients.
  • ET during a late-breaking abstract proffered paper session at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2023 (abstract #LBA38).
  • After a median follow-up of 17.9 months (range, 0.9-31.0), the KEYTRUDA regimen reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 30% (HR=0.70 [95% CI, 0.55-0.89]; p=0.0020) versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone in these patients.
  • The 24-month PFS rate was 67.8% for patients who received the KEYTRUDA regimen compared to 57.3% for those who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone.

Perspective Therapeutics’ Cesium-131 Featured at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s Annual Conference

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 5, 2023

The first presentation, entitled “Long-Term Urinary Toxicity Follow-Up of Combined External Beam Radiation and Cs-131 LDR Brachytherapy Boost for Prostate Cancer,” was presented by Mohamed Abdelhakiem, MD from the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Key Points: 
  • The first presentation, entitled “Long-Term Urinary Toxicity Follow-Up of Combined External Beam Radiation and Cs-131 LDR Brachytherapy Boost for Prostate Cancer,” was presented by Mohamed Abdelhakiem, MD from the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
  • The presentation described urinary data collected from 341 patients treated with Cesium-131 between 2006 and 2022.
  • The authors concluded that Cesium-131 brachytherapy is a promising alternative to pelvic exenteration, which can be a significant surgical procedure.
  • “We’re excited that UPMC’s long term data on Cesium-131 brachytherapy for prostate cancer was included at this year’s ASTRO meeting,” said Thijs Spoor, Perspective’s Chief Executive Officer.