Radiotherapy with high precision is considered safe for polymetastatic cancer

Radiotherapy with high precision is considered safe for polymetastatic cancer

A new phase I clinical trial from the London Health Sciences Center Research Institute (LHSCRI) has found that high-precision radiotherapy is safe in patients with cancer that has spread to more than 10 sites in the body. Published in theInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, PhysicsThe arrest study highlights the potential of this therapy for patients with limited treatment options.

Previous research from LHSCRI has shown that targeted radiation, called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), may be beneficial for those with cancers that have spread or metastasized to fewer than 10 sites, showing that it can prolong the time for new cancer spots to appear and claim the life span of some patients. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of using SABR in cancer patients with polymetastatic disease, where the cancer has spread to more than 10 spots in multiple organs throughout the body, who have few drug treatment options available.

“With this targeted, high-intensity radiation to treat cancer, which has spread to fewer than five places, it appears to provide benefits in controlling cancers for a longer period of time and improving outcomes,” explains Dr. Glenn Bauman, scientist at LHSCRI and radiation onocologist at the London Health Sciences Center (LHSC). “In this new study, we wanted to know if there was an upper limit to how many cancer spots we should treat with radiation.”

Thirteen patients were treated with five doses of radiation using SABR at LHSC's VersspeTen Family Cancer Center. It has been found to be safe in treating 10 or more cancerous lesions throughout the body. All results were within acceptable toxicity levels.

“We were able to extend the full five doses of radiation and we saw no relevant side effects,” explains Dr. Bauman.

Additionally, researchers found that creating radiation plans for patients that were more complex and resource-intensive to target multiple lesions while protecting normal organs and tissues was feasible in all but one study participant.

A larger Phase II clinical trial is currently underway to look beyond the safety of the treatment to patient benefits. This study will study patients who do not receive drug therapy in the next three months - whether due to patient preference, a desired break from side effects, or no additional drug treatments are available.

The Phase I study was successful in demonstrating the safety and feasibility of this approach. In this next larger study, Arrest-2, we're studying whether treating as many cancer spots as safely possible can improve survival and give patients more time. “

Dr. Timothy Nguyen, radiation oncologist at LHSC and LEAD author of the study

While the use of SABR to target specific metastases that cause pain or problems in patients with polymetastatic disease is common, the idea of ​​targeting areas that are not symptomatic but could help with overall disease control is a new concept that could benefit many cancer patients.

The attempted arrest was made possible thanks to donors from the generous London Health Sciences Foundation.

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