Proton Therapy Safe and Effective Treatment for Children with Tumors Near the Brainstem
By MedImaging International staff writers Posted on 24 Oct 2013 |
Proton therapy can be used to safely treat pediatric sarcomas and brain tumors adjacent to the brainstem, according to a new study.
The study’s findings were presented October 2013 at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s 55th annual meeting, held in Atlanta (GA, USA), by lead researcher Daniel J. Indelicato, MD, associate professor in the University of Florida (UF; Gainesville, USA) department of radiation oncology, described the findings of 313 children who received a high radiation dose to the area around the brainstem, and is the largest study of this type ever presented. More than 90% of these children treated at UF Proton Therapy Institute (Jacksonville, USA) since 2006 survived beyond two years and the rate of serious side effects involving the brainstem was 2%.
“This study provides important evidence that proton therapy may be safely delivered to our most vulnerable patients with challenging tumors,” said Dr. Indelicato. “Whenever a child experiences a side effect from radiation that impacts the brainstem, it is a very serious and potentially life-threatening event. Across our entire discipline, regardless of the treatment modality, pediatric radiation oncologists need more information to identify patients at risk. This study contributes valuable radiation dose parameters to help guide the design of safe radiation treatment plans.”
Most of the children treated at the UF Proton Therapy Institute have tumors in this critical location near the base of the skull and spinal cord. Proton therapy provides an advantage in these children, because the developing brain is exposed to less radiation. Moreover, proton therapy may limit the dose to a child’s hearing, hormone, and vision centers neighboring the tumor.
Related Links:
University of Florida
University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute
The study’s findings were presented October 2013 at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s 55th annual meeting, held in Atlanta (GA, USA), by lead researcher Daniel J. Indelicato, MD, associate professor in the University of Florida (UF; Gainesville, USA) department of radiation oncology, described the findings of 313 children who received a high radiation dose to the area around the brainstem, and is the largest study of this type ever presented. More than 90% of these children treated at UF Proton Therapy Institute (Jacksonville, USA) since 2006 survived beyond two years and the rate of serious side effects involving the brainstem was 2%.
“This study provides important evidence that proton therapy may be safely delivered to our most vulnerable patients with challenging tumors,” said Dr. Indelicato. “Whenever a child experiences a side effect from radiation that impacts the brainstem, it is a very serious and potentially life-threatening event. Across our entire discipline, regardless of the treatment modality, pediatric radiation oncologists need more information to identify patients at risk. This study contributes valuable radiation dose parameters to help guide the design of safe radiation treatment plans.”
Most of the children treated at the UF Proton Therapy Institute have tumors in this critical location near the base of the skull and spinal cord. Proton therapy provides an advantage in these children, because the developing brain is exposed to less radiation. Moreover, proton therapy may limit the dose to a child’s hearing, hormone, and vision centers neighboring the tumor.
Related Links:
University of Florida
University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute
Latest Nuclear Medicine News
- New Imaging Technique Monitors Inflammation Disorders without Radiation Exposure
- New SPECT/CT Technique Could Change Imaging Practices and Increase Patient Access
- New Radiotheranostic System Detects and Treats Ovarian Cancer Noninvasively
- AI System Automatically and Reliably Detects Cardiac Amyloidosis Using Scintigraphy Imaging
- Early 30-Minute Dynamic FDG-PET Acquisition Could Halve Lung Scan Times
- New Method for Triggering and Imaging Seizures to Help Guide Epilepsy Surgery
- Radioguided Surgery Accurately Detects and Removes Metastatic Lymph Nodes in Prostate Cancer Patients
- New PET Tracer Detects Inflammatory Arthritis Before Symptoms Appear
- Novel PET Tracer Enhances Lesion Detection in Medullary Thyroid Cancer
- Targeted Therapy Delivers Radiation Directly To Cells in Hard-To-Treat Cancers
- New PET Tracer Noninvasively Identifies Cancer Gene Mutation for More Precise Diagnosis
- Algorithm Predicts Prostate Cancer Recurrence in Patients Treated by Radiation Therapy
- Novel PET Imaging Tracer Noninvasively Identifies Cancer Gene Mutation for More Precise Diagnosis
- Ultrafast Laser Technology to Improve Cancer Treatment
- Low-Dose Radiation Therapy Demonstrates Potential for Treatment of Heart Failure
- New PET Radiotracer Aids Early, Noninvasive Detection of Inflammatory Bowel Disease