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SHORT-TERM RADIATION FOR CANCER PAIN AS EFFECTIVE AS LONGER REGIMEN
25 May 2005 - Boston University
| Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine confirm that single dose (8 Gy) radiation is as effective as the current standard of ten treatments (30 Gy) of radiation therapy for patients with painful bone metastases. These recommendations appear in an editorial in the June 1, 2005 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. |
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine confirm that single dose (8 Gy) radiation is as effective as the current standard of ten treatments (30 Gy) of radiation therapy for patients with painful bone metastases. These recommendations appear in an editorial in the June 1, 2005 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Radiation therapy has been proven effective in providing relief from painful bone metastases. Fifty to 80 percent of treated patients experience improvement in their pain, while 20 to 50 percent have complete pain relief. According to the authors, despite a considerable body of evidence from randomized trials supporting the use of a single dose of radiation therapy, there has been a reluctance among physicians to adopt single fractionation as standard practice, even in the interest of patient convenience and cost effectiveness. The authors also believe there may be a financial influence driving the continued use of longer radiation programs. “It is clear from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group’s findings that single dose radiation therapy is sufficient to achieve palliation of painful bone metastases,” said editorial author Lisa Kachnic, MD, chief of Radiation Oncology at Boston Medical Center, associate professor of radiology and assistant professor of medicine at BUSM. “However,” she continues, “it remains to be seen if this approach will become the standard of care in the United States.”
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Boston University has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in research in a wide range of disciplines and a demonstrated commitment to fostering innovative interdisciplinary research. The Office of the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Education supports the University in facilitating research at the both the student and faculty levels.Our mission is to enhance and encourage research at Boston University and to provide a climate conducive to maintaining the University at the cutting edge of research and scholarly activities. We work with the Boston University community to plan and coordinate interdisciplinary research and represent the University in research matters related to Inter-University consortia. To encourage new, innovative, and cross-disciplinary efforts, this office administers the Special Program for Research Initiation Grants (SPRInG). We showcase graduate research at Science & Technology Day. This annual event features nearly 200 research posters by graduate students from both the Medical and Charles River Campuses working in a wide range of disciplines. Our annual research magazine, Research at Boston University, informs a wide audience about a selection of our significant research findings and ongoing studies at Boston University. We also maintain a strong presence on the web through this site and through the Science Coalition’s website, which brings our research successes to the attention of Congress and other policy makers in the federal government. To assist Boston University researchers, this office oversees the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and coordinates with the Office of Sponsored Programs on the Charles River Campus , the research administration on the Medical Campus, the Office of Research Compliance, and the various graduate programs. For the development of commercially viable ideas, we administer the Provost's Innovation Fund and work closely with the Office of Technology Transfer. We also coordinate proposals where there are institutional limits to the number of proposals that may be submitted, cost sharing requirements, significant laboratory renovations, or other special circumstances. This office assists departments and centers to achieve a diverse faculty and graduate student body through our membership and activities with the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate and through our affiliation with the Clare Boothe Luce program of the Henry Luce Foundation. |
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