Newswise — The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology has published the new patient information brochure Radiation Therapy for Brain Tumors: Facts to Help People Understand Their Treatment Options to help patients and their families better understand the treatments available.
"Trying to sort through and make sense of the different treatments available can be an overwhelming experience when someone is first diagnosed with a brain tumor," said Louis Harrison, M.D., Chair of the ASTRO Communications Committee and a radiation oncologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. "We hope this brochure will help patients better understand the different types of treatments available and allow them to make the best, most informed decision about which treatment to receive."
According to the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, about 40,000 Americans will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor this year and an estimated 170,000 will be diagnosed with a brain or spinal cord tumor that has spread from another part of the body. Most brain and spinal cord tumors have no known risk factors and occur for no apparent reason. Many patients are not aware that radiation therapy is often combined with surgery and/or chemotherapy to eradicate the tumor.
To help inform patients of their treatment options, ASTRO has developed an up-to-date brochure that patients can use to talk with their healthcare providers when contemplating radiation therapy as part of their treatment. The brochure also helps patients find support groups and information on clinical trials.
Patients and patient advocacy organizations can request free copies of the brochure by calling Beth Bukata or Nick Lashinsky at 1-800-962-7876 or e-mailing [email protected] or [email protected]. The brochure can also be viewed online at http://www.astro.org/patient/.
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 8,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As a leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to the advancement of the practice of radiation oncology by promoting excellence in patient care, providing opportunities for educational and professional development, promoting research and disseminating research results and representing radiation oncology in a rapidly evolving socioeconomic healthcare environment.
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