November 8, 2010 – Physicians are significantly less comfortable discussing withdrawal of pacemaker (PM) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy compared with other life-sustaining therapies, according to new survey published in HeartRhythm. In the survey, almost half said they were not comfortable having the discussion with patients.

November 8, 2010 – Helical computed tomography (CT) screening is a highly effective way to help reduce the number of people who die each year from lung cancer, according to a statement from the American College of Radiology (ACR). The statement comes after the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial was stopped early so the positive results could be publicized.

November 5, 2010 - A dedicated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) workplace with upgrades was featured at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in San Diego, Calif. The Siemens syngo RT Dosimetrist v2.7 enables users to achieve accurate contours easily and intuitively. Even with rough mouse contouring, OAR segmentation can be sped up to three minutes.

November 5, 2010 – A new system can significantly cut radiotherapy treatment times. Creekside Cancer Center said the CyberKnife VSI system, by Accuray International, reduced the average treatment time to less than 30 minutes. Creekside is the first facility to install and use the system.

November 5, 2010 – As part of the U.S. government’s Therapeutic Discovery Project, Orbital Therapy has been awarded nearly $250,000 for a breast cancer research project.

November 4, 2010 - A smaller, more efficient and cost-effective proton therapy system will soon be available for cancer treatment centers. The single-room Proteus One system, from IBA Particle Therapy, is roughly one-third the size of the current gantry configuration.

November 4, 2010 – Several new radiation oncology tools were on display at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in San Diego, Calif. The tools, by Philips, include 4-D imaging, a toolkit to evaluate organ motion and technology to help clinicians view critical structures near the sites of dense metal objects.

November 4, 2010 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is easing the path to market for mammography systems that produce computerized X-ray images of the entire breast. Those devices will now be included in class II. These systems, known as full field digital (FFD) mammography systems, are an alternative to mammography systems that produce X-ray film.