Provision Center for Proton Therapy is helping pioneer a new product that will help further protect prostate cancer patients from the effects of radiation therapy. Four patients were injected with SpaceOAR hydrogel, the first product in the United States cleared just last week as a spacer to protect the rectum in men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The SpaceOAR System is intended to temporarily position the anterior rectal wall away from the prostate during radiotherapy for prostate cancer, creating space to protect the rectum from radiation exposure. Provision is the first proton therapy center and the second radiation treatment center nationwide to adopt the product.

A UK National Cancer Research Institute trial led from The University of Manchester and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust has suggested that in patients with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma, the late effects of radiotherapy could be reduced by using a scan to determine those who actually need it.

3D Systems announced that a 20-month-old toddler is breathing and swallowing easier thanks to a team of cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The team used a full-color 3-D printed replica of his heart to prepare for a delicate, 2.5-hour procedure at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Although ultrasound remains the primary imaging modality used in prenatal imaging, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is playing an increasing role in further evaluation of fetuses suspected of congenital anomalies. As 3-T MRI scanners become more common due to their improved image signal-to-noise ratio and anatomical detail, the benefits of 3-T MRI must be weighed against potential risks to the fetus that may result from the higher field strength.

IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) announced that it has signed a formal contract with the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) to establish The Netherlands’ first proton therapy center in Groningen.

Hologic, Inc. issued the following statement today on the draft 2015 guidelines for breast cancer screening published this week by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).