Fewer side effects for esophageal cancer patients with proton therapy
Fewer side effects for esophageal cancer patients with proton therapy
22 May 2015New research has shown that patients with esophageal cancer experience fewer toxic side effects when treated with proton therapy. This is a new type of radiation therapy which minimizes impact on tissue surrounding the tumor, improving patients' quality of life.
Michael Chuong, MD, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine worked with researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Dallas, Texas. They compared two kinds of X-ray radiation with proton therapy, an innovative, precise approach that targets tumors while minimizing harm to surrounding tissues.
"Proton therapy can really make a difference in cancer patients' lives"
The researchers looked at nearly 600 patients and found that proton therapy resulted in a significantly lower number of side effects, including nausea, blood abnormalities and loss of appetite. The results were presented on May 22 at the annual conference of the Particle Therapy Cooperative Group, held in San Diego.
"This evidence underscores the precision of proton therapy, and how it can really make a difference in cancer patients' lives," said Dr. Chuong.
Patients with esophageal cancer can suffer a range of side effects, including nausea, fatigue, lack of appetite, blood abnormalities and lung and heart problems. Proton therapy did not make a difference in all of these side effects, but had significant effects on several.
Proton treatment applicable to many kinds of tumors
The treatment works well for many kinds of tumors, including those found in the brain, esophagus, lung, head and neck, prostate, liver, spinal cord and gastrointestinal system. It is also an important option for children with cancer and is expected to become an important option for some types of breast cancer. While most cancer patients are well served with today's state-of-the-art radiation therapy technology, up to 30% are expected to have a greater benefit from the new form of targeted proton beam therapy.
Other new cancer treatment methods
Proton therapy is just one of several new methods for treating cancer. Others include:
- Selective Internal Radiation Therapy, a precision modality for treating patients with particularly difficult-to-remove tumors involving the liver such as those from colorectal cancers;
- Gammapod, a new, high-precision, noninvasive method of treating early-stage breast cancer;
- Thermal Therapies, the use of "heat" in treating a broad spectrum of malignancies.
Source: Science Daily