New Radiotherapy Technique Shown to Be Safe for Cancer Patients

A new technique, known as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), is safe for patients with recurrent head and neck cancers, and may improve their quality of life, according to researchers.

The investigators, from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI; PA, USA), presented findings of their phase I study June 17, 2009, in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.

Each year approximately 500,000 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck are diagnosed worldwide. While treatment has improved with advances in surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, more than half of patients will die from recurrent disease. Treatment options for patients with recurrent disease are limited, and for many, surgery may not be an option, according to lead investigator Dwight E. Heron, M.D., director, Radiation Oncology Services, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Cancer Centers.

"Chemotherapy alone can provide this patient population some palliation and pain relief, but it doesn't prolong survival,” said Dr. Heron. "A few patients may be able to receive additional radiation treatments, but head and neck cancers, by their very nature, develop in very delicate areas of the body, which provide significant retreatment challenges.”

SBRT may offer these patients an alternative, noted Dr. Heron. "At the completion of our study, we found this treatment was tolerated very well. No maximum tolerated dose was reached, and no toxicities occurred that caused us to limit the dosing.”

SBRT is a comparatively new technique using CyberKnife technology, which delivers high doses of radiation with more precision than traditional techniques. The vast majority of patients complete treatment within 10 days. In the trial, 31 patients with recurrent, inoperable head and neck cancers were treated over a two-week period. Positron emission tomography- (PET)-CT also was used to develop a customized radiation treatment plan for each patient, allowing radiation oncologists to target the cancer more accurately while sparing healthy tissue.

"Ultimately, SBRT offers patients a better quality of life. Instead of having to go through six or seven weeks of treatments that are often associated with significant toxicities, patients can receive treatment over a shorter course and still get the same outcomes compared to the current standard of care,” said Dr. Heron.

Related Links:
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute