We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Pre-Surgery Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Sarcoma Patients Reduces Long-Term Side Effects

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 15 Feb 2015
Print article
Soft Tissue Sarcomas (STS) are relatively rare but deadly cancerous tumors of fat, muscles, nerves, tendons, blood vessels, or connective tissues. Standard treatment includes radiotherapy of the sarcoma which may result in damage to healthy tissue and long-term side effects.

In order to address this issue, a multiyear, multi-institution phase 2 clinical trial was conducted over three years at 18 medical centers across the United States (US) by the US Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)/NRG Oncology Group. The trial studied more than 100 patients with STS of the extremities. Under the trial, image-guided radiotherapy was administered, prior to tumor removal surgery, to a much smaller area than is standard for treating STS. To achieve this, a series of images of the tumor were taken every day, and digitally integrated with previous scans. This enabled the researchers to determine a custom tailored radiation dose, to minimize exposure to healthy tissue adjacent to the tumor.

Assessments two years after the radiotherapy treatment showed that long-term side effects were only 10.5%. Patients in a previous study, who received radiation to a larger target area, showed long-term side effects of less than 37%.

The study was published in the February 10, 2015, online issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and showed that the new treatment damages less healthy tissue and reduces long-term side effects, while survival rates remained unchanged. The findings were considered a significant advance in clinical cancer research and could establish a new standard for treatment of STS.

Dr. Dian Wang, lead author of the paper, professor of Radiation Oncology at Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, IL, USA), and chair of the NRG Oncology Group commented, “This study proves that we are able to use this modern technology—image-guided radiotherapy—to irradiate smaller target volumes (less normal tissue included) and reduce long term side effects in extremity sarcoma patients compared with conventional radiotherapy.”

Related Links:

Rush University Medical Center 


Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
Under Table Shield
3 Section Double Pivot Under Table Shield
New
Breast Imaging Workstation
SecurView
New
Silver Member
Mobile X-Ray Barrier
Lead Acrylic Mobile X-Ray Barriers

Print article

Channels

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: The AI system uses scintigraphy imaging for early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

AI System Automatically and Reliably Detects Cardiac Amyloidosis Using Scintigraphy Imaging

Cardiac amyloidosis, a condition characterized by the buildup of abnormal protein deposits (amyloids) in the heart muscle, severely affects heart function and can lead to heart failure or death without... Read more

General/Advanced Imaging

view channel
Image: The CIARTIC Move self-driving mobile C-arm has received FDA clearance (Photo courtesy of Siemens)

Self-Driving Mobile C-Arm Reduces Imaging Time during Surgery

Intraoperative imaging faces significant challenges due to staff shortages and the high demands placed on surgical teams in the operating room (OR). A common challenge during many OR procedures is the... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more

Industry News

view channel
Image: Samsung Medison CEO Mr. Yongkwan Kim and Bracco Imaging CEO Dr. Fulvio Renoldi Bracco endorsed a MoU agreement (Photo courtesy of Bracco Group)

Samsung and Bracco Enter Into New Diagnostic Ultrasound Technology Agreement

Samsung Medison (Seoul, South Korea) and Bracco Imaging (Milan, Italy) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to pioneer a new area for diagnostic ultrasound devices and contrast agents.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.