Radiation is everywhere. We catch it from the sun’s rays in the sky, and from the rocks beneath our feet. It comes from television sets, radios and mobile phones. We absorb it from certain fruits, vegetables and nuts.

But not all radiation is equal. Electromagnetic Radiation  read more…

A new gel-based nanosensor for radiation dose monitoring can be used on skin and is relatively inexpensive.

Arizona State University researchers (in collaboration with Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center) have discovered a biocompatible cost-effective hydrogel that can be used to monitor therapeutic doses of ionizing radiation by becoming more pink with increasing radiation exposure. This picture shows a circle of hydrogel that was irradiated on the left half, which is slightly pink; whereas the right half of the gel is not irradiated and remains colorless. read more…

A significant number of cancer survivors have sleep problems years after a cancer diagnosis, and American Cancer Society researchers have found that these problems were related to the fear of cancer returning or distress from a physical, emotional, or financial issue related to cancer. The study was published in the journal Sleep Medicine.

Trouble sleeping can lead to serious problems for people with cancer, including lower quality of life, depression, and the inability to carry out regular day-to-day activities. Understanding the link between cancer-related problems and sleep may help doctors evaluate and treat sleep problems in long-term cancer survivors. Read more…

If you’re a spouse, partner, family member, or friend providing physical and emotional help to a cancer patient, then you are a vital part of the cancer care team. Taking care of someone who’s having cancer surgery may involve helping them get ready before the procedure, being their advocate during recovery, and then helping them get back to daily life again.

Surgery can be used to prevent, diagnose, stage, or treat cancer. It can also be used to lessen pain, discomfort, or other problems related to cancer. After a diagnosis, the patient may have surgery as the first treatment, or not until after they receive certain types of chemotherapy or radiation. Sometimes the person may need more than one operation at different times. Read more…

The World Health Organization (WHO) today spells out the need to step up cancer services in low and middle-income countries. WHO warns that, if current trends continue, the world will see a 60% increase in cancer cases over the next two decades. The greatest increase (an estimated 81%) in new cases will occur in low- and middle-income countries, where survival rates are currently lowest.

This is largely because these countries have had to focus limited health resources on combating infectious diseases and improving maternal and child health, while health services are not equipped to prevent, diagnose and treat cancers. In 2019, more than 90% of high-income countries reported that comprehensive treatment services for cancer were available in the public health system compared to less than 15% of low-income countries. Read More

Much more must be done to make radiotherapy treatment available worldwide, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a video message to mark World Cancer Day.

“We need to do much more than we ever thought it was possible,” Mr Grossi said in the message recorded as part of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) 20 Leaders Campaign to mark the day.  “With radiotherapy, we kill tumours, with radiotherapy we ease pain, but in one-third of low- and middle-income countries, there is a lack of radiotherapy treatment. Twenty-eight countries in Africa lack a single radiotherapy unit. In these countries, a cancer diagnosis is often almost as a death sentence. This must change.” Read more