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




Radiotherapy Doubles Mesothelioma Survival Rate

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 15 May 2019
Print article
Mesothelioma patients treated with a high dose of radiation to the affected side of the trunk are twice as likely to survive for two years or longer, according to a new study.

Researchers at University Hospital of Udine (Italy) and the National Cancer Institute (CRO; Aviano, Italy) conducted a study that involved 108 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma treated between 2014 and 2018 at the CRO. Half of the patients were randomly assigned to receive radical hemi-thoracic radiotherapy (RT) involving a total of 25 treatments, delivering a total dose of 50 Gy to the left or right side of the trunk, as well as an extra 60 Gy dose to the precise location of the tumor.

The other half of the patients received a more typical palliative form of RT, which involved five to ten treatments delivering a total dose of 20-30 Gy to the precise tumor location. All patients also received subsequent chemotherapy. The results showed that of the patients who received aggressive RT, 58% were still alive two years later, compared to 28% in the palliative RT group. Treatment side effects included radiation pneumonitis, weakness, nausea, and mild inflammation of the esophagus. The study was presented at the ESTRO 38 annual conference, held during April 2019 in Milan (Italy).

“There is an urgent need for more effective treatments for mesothelioma. Surgery can be given to these patients, but it is often impossible to remove all of the tumor,” said lead author Marco Trovo MD, chief of the radiation oncology department. “This research shows a clear survival benefit in using this type of radiotherapy for mesothelioma patients whose tumors can only partially be removed by surgery. We believe that this should be considered the new standard of care for these patients.”

Mesothelioma develops from the mesothelium lining that covers many of the internal organs; the most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath due to fluid around the lung, a swollen abdomen, chest wall pain, cough, exhaustion, and weight loss. More than 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by exposure to asbestos, with exposure and the onset of cancer generally separated by about 40 years. Mesothelioma is generally resistant to radiation and chemotherapy treatment, and long-term survival and cures are exceedingly rare.

Related Links:
University Hospital of Udine
National Cancer Institute

Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
New
Digital Radiography Generator
meX+20BT lite
New
PACS Workstation
CHILI Web Viewer
Compact C-Arm with FPD
Arcovis DRF-C R21

Print article

Channels

Radiography

view channel
:	Image: The AI model could be a valuable adjunct to human radiologists in breast cancer diagnoses and risk prediction (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

AI Model Predicts 5-Year Breast Cancer Risk from Mammograms

Approximately 13% of U.S. women, or one in every eight, are predicted to develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetime, with 1 in 39 women (3%) succumbing to the illness, according to the American... 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.