Latest news with #radiationTherapy
Washington Post
06-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
A patient's eye view of radiation therapy: This is what it feels like
Too often in pop culture, 'cancer' is synonymous with chemotherapy and depressing scenes of noble patients enduring hair loss and intravenous drips. But for many people, including palliative care patients like me, radiation therapy can provide another avenue to slow disease and reduce pain with fewer side effects. Although it can also be a robust part of curative treatment for a range of cancers (including prostate and breast cancers), in my case, it quickly — and disappointingly — became clear that radiation wasn't going to jolt my metastatic Ewing's sarcoma into retirement (never the likeliest outcome). But it ameliorated some discomforts and with notably less wear and tear than the chemo alternatives.
Health Line
04-07-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Treatment Options for Brain Cancer
Key takeaways Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are common treatments for brain cancer, and they can be used alone or in combination. The specific approach depends on the cancer's characteristics and location. Targeted and electric field therapies are additional options for managing brain cancer. Clinical trials, like those researching immunotherapy, also offer promising new treatments that could improve the outlook for people with this condition. A brain tumor happens when cells in your brain begin to grow and divide out of control. While some brain tumors are benign (noncancerous), others are malignant (cancerous). There are a few different treatments that may be used for brain cancer, either alone or together. And clinical trials are currently testing new treatments for brain cancer that can help to improve your outlook. Keep reading to learn more about each treatment, how it's used, and the side effects associated with it. Can you survive brain cancer? It's possible to survive brain cancer. But survival can vary greatly based on many factors, such as the type of brain cancer that you have and your age. Surgery for brain cancer Surgery is a part of treatment for many brain cancers. During surgery, a neurosurgeon will try to remove as much of the tumor as possible without affecting the function of your brain. Surgery is often done by craniotomy. This is where a small opening is made in your skull, allowing for access to your brain. You may be under general or local anesthesia during surgery. While operating, a neurosurgeon can use various techniques to help them safely remove your tumor without damaging the surrounding tissue. These can include: Using surgery in combination with other brain cancer treatments like radiation therapy (RT) may be able to eliminate smaller, less aggressive cancers. But this can be more challenging for cancers that are larger or more aggressive. Surgery can also be used for other purposes. These include inserting a shunt or drain to reduce intracranial pressure or placing an Ommaya reservoir to help deliver chemotherapy (chemo). Side effects of surgery for brain cancer Some of the possible side effects of surgery for brain cancer may include: a reaction to the anesthetic infections bleeding swelling of the brain seizures loss of brain function Radiation therapy for brain cancer RT uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells. It's often given for brain cancer using a radiation source located outside of your body. This is called external beam RT. Radiation has the potential to damage healthy brain tissue, so several methods have been developed to help lower this risk. An example of one is conformational RT, which makes a 3D image of your tumor and shapes the radiation to fit to it. You may receive RT after surgery to help kill any remaining cancer cells. RT may also be one of the main treatment options if your cancer can't be operated on. This may be the case if your cancer is: very extensive located deep within your brain found at or around an area that's vital for brain function Side effects of radiation therapy for brain cancer Some of the potential side effects of RT for brain cancer are: fatigue nausea or vomiting headache hair loss cognitive changes, which can include issues with memory, difficulties with concentration, or changes in personality increased risk of a second cancer Chemotherapy for brain cancer Chemo uses drugs that disrupt the ability of cancer cells to grow and divide. It can be used along with other treatment types, such as surgery or RT, or alone when other treatments haven't been effective. While many chemo drugs are given directly into your bloodstream or taken orally, this isn't always possible with brain cancer. The reason is that many chemo drugs can't cross the blood-brain barrier. As such, some chemo may be given directly into your cerebrospinal fluid. Other types of chemo may also be given as a wafer that's placed in your brain during surgery. A few examples of chemo drugs used for brain cancer, either alone or in combination, are: carmustine lomustine procarbazine temozolomide vincristine Side effects of chemotherapy for brain cancer The possible side effects of chemo include: nausea or vomiting diarrhea mouth sores loss of appetite hair loss low blood counts, which can cause: anemia an increased risk of infections easy bleeding Targeted therapy for brain cancer Targeted therapy uses drugs that target specific markers on or in cancer cells. Currently, there are only a handful of targeted therapy drugs used for brain cancer. Bevacizumab (Avastin) inhibits a protein that promotes the growth of blood vessels around tumors. It's given by an intravenous (IV) line and may be used to treat glioblastoma. Everolimus (Afinitor) blocks the activity of a protein involved in cell growth and division. It's taken as a pill and is used for some types of astrocytomas. Side effects of targeted therapy for brain cancer Specific side effects can vary based off of the targeted therapy drug used. But some of the more general side effects of targeted therapy drugs may include: fatigue loss of appetite nausea diarrhea mouth sores headache an increased risk of infections Alternating electric field therapy for brain cancer Alternating electric field therapy exposes a tumor to electric fields that affect its ability to grow. This type of therapy involves the use of a wearable device called the Optune system that generates those electric fields. The Optune system is used for people who recently received a diagnosis of glioblastoma or those who have recurrent glioblastoma. Side effects of alternating electric field therapy for brain cancer Some of the side effects that you may have while using alternating electric field therapy include: skin irritation where the device and its electrodes are placed on your scalp headache seizures low blood counts and digestive side effects when used with chemo Clinical trials for brain cancer Clinical trials evaluate potentially new or improved ways to treat a disease or disorder. They're essential for testing the safety and effectiveness of new treatments before they're made more widely available. One type of treatment that's being heavily researched for brain cancer is immunotherapy. This is a type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system respond to cancer. It's already used for many other cancer types. For some people with brain cancer, receiving treatment through a clinical trial may be recommended. This is particularly true if you have a cancer that: is rare or very aggressive has a limited number of approved treatment options hasn't responded to conventional treatments has come back after treatment If you're interested in a clinical trial for brain cancer, talk with your medical care team. They can recommend clinical trials you may qualify for. You can also find clinical trials through the website of the National Brain Tumor Society or by searching What's the outlook for a person with brain cancer? The outlook for people with brain cancer depends on many factors. These include: the type of brain cancer you have the grade of the cancer, which estimates how quickly the tumor may grow where the tumor is in your brain how large the tumor is whether or not the tumor can be removed using surgery and, if so, how much of the tumor can be removed the presence of certain genetic changes in the tumor cells your age and overall health For example, the 5-year relative survival rate for adults ages 20–44 years old with diffuse astrocytoma, a slow-growing cancer, is 73%. In contrast, the 5-year relative survival rate is 22% in the same age group for glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer. If you've recently received a diagnosis of brain cancer, your medical care team will consider all of the factors above to give you a better idea of your individual outlook. Relative survival rate vs. survival rate A relative survival rate suggests how long someone with a condition may live after receiving a diagnosis compared with someone without the condition of the same race, sex, and age over a specific time. This is different from overall survival rate, which is a percentage of people still alive for a specific time after receiving a diagnosis of a condition.
Zawya
28-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
M42, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Gunma University in Japan to drive innovation in heavy ion therapy
ABU DHABI - M42 and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Gunma University in Japan to accelerate research and innovation in heavy ion therapy, one of the most advanced and precise forms of radiation therapy for cancer treatment. This collaboration, which took place during M42 and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's recent delegation visit to Japan, will see the three entities exchange knowledge, expertise and research to deepen scientific understanding and broaden the clinical applications of heavy ion therapy. The collaboration builds on M42 and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's recent partnership with Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) to establish the region's first heavy ion therapy facility in Abu Dhabi. This initiative will introduce one of the world's most innovative cancer treatment technologies to the Middle East, positioning Abu Dhabi as a centre of excellence in oncology and precision medicine. With no heavy ion therapy centre within a five-hour flight of the UAE, the upcoming facility—strategically located on the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi campus, adjacent to the Fatima bint Mubarak Centre, the region's first-of-its-kind comprehensive cancer centre—will enhance access to this treatment for patients across the Middle East. Dr. Georges-Pascal Haber, Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said, 'At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, our vision is to bring the most advanced, evidence-based treatments to our patients, and this partnership with Gunma University exemplifies that commitment. By combining our clinical expertise with Gunma's decades of leadership in heavy ion therapy, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also laying the groundwork for a new era of cancer care in the region." President Ishizaki Yasuki at Gunma University, commented, 'Gunma University has long been committed to advancing the science of heavy ion therapy through rigorous research and clinical innovation." He added, "Partnering with M42 will enable us to expand the reach of this transformative therapy, fostering international collaboration and ensuring that more patients worldwide benefit from the latest advancements in cancer treatment.' Gunma University has been at the forefront of radiation oncology and nuclear medicine in Japan for decades. The Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Centre (GHMC), established in 2005, has been instrumental in refining heavy ion radiotherapy by integrating radiation biology, clinical studies, and cutting-edge treatment technologies.
