Pencil Beam Scanning Lung Cancer Radiotherapy Delivered Successfully at German Proton Therapy Center

Germany clinicians are employing advanced proton therapy technology for the treatment of difficult lung cancer patients.

The treatments were performed at the Rinecker Proton Therapy Center (RPTC; Munich, Germany) using proton therapy systems supplied by Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA, USA). A 75-year-old patient with a large tumor in the right upper lung received 18 proton therapy treatments over three months. "By the end of the proton therapy treatment the tumor had halved in size and we expect it to regress further," said Prof. Manfred Herbst, medical director at RPTC.

Another patient with cancer in the left lung received a course of proton therapy at RPTC, which was able to protect the healthy right lung while at the same time keeping much of the remaining healthy tissue in the affected lung free of radiation. "A significant improvement in breathing was achieved after eight treatment days at the RPTC,” said Prof. Herbst. "Image-based clinical monitoring using computer tomography showed a clear reduction of the tumor volume.” Early results of both these innovative treatments were encouraging, according to RPTC clinicians.

To reduce tumor motion and increase targeted dose delivery during lung cancer treatments, patients at RPTC have controlled inflation of the lungs with oxygen during the application of a light anesthesia.

Whereas traditional X-ray based radiotherapy utilizes photons and electrons to destroy tumors, proton therapy involves delivering heavy proton particles with a unique energy characteristic to destroy tumors. The proton energy has a predictable drop-off that enables oncologists to deposit the peak of the energy within the tumor and reduce the exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue. Proton therapy enables oncologists to increase dose control and limit exposure to healthy tissue while treating cancer and other indications. The advanced treatment technique used at RPTC--called pencil beam scanning--enhances precision by enabling clinicians to maximize dose to the tumor while minimizing dose to nearby sensitive organs and tissue.

"Proton therapy could prove to be a very valuable weapon in the fight against lung cancer,” added Dr. Herbst. Recent findings from similar studies suggest that proton radiation treatment could potentially be more effective even than surgery in many cases of lung cancer. This research also reveals that proton therapy may reduce radiation exposure of healthy lung tissue and adjacent organs.

Related Links:
Rinecker Proton Therapy Center
Varian Medical Systems