Researchers at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) are optimistic about radiation therapy for patients with multiple sites of cancer.
A new Phase I clinical trial from the LHSC Research Institute looked at using high precision radiation therapy in patients with cancer that has spread to more than 10 spots.
“We found out that this was feasible, that we could actually plan and deliver this radiation treatment, and that it was safe for patients,” said Dr. Timothy Nguyen, a radiation oncologist at LHSC and the study’s lead author.
Nguyen says there were mild to moderate side effects, but not uncommon from what they normally see during treatment.
“People we studied for, 12 out of the 13 people, we were able to give them all the planned radiation treatments that it was tolerable by the patients. We did not see any concerning safety signals, like no unexpected side effects or toxicity,” explained Dr. Glenn Bauman, Scientist at LHSCRI.
The study ran for just under two years, with patients undergoing treatment over five months.
Bauman says the process is resource intensive.
“It takes a lot of time and effort and a lot of people on our radiation team, from physicians to radiation therapists to physicists — a whole range of people who have to be involved”
A larger Phase II clinical trial is now underway. It hopes to look beyond the safety of the treatment to the benefits for the patient.
“Sometimes in this population of patients who don’t have any more treatment options available, it’s really the hope, I think the encouragement of there might be something else we can do for them,” said Nguyen.
The trial was made possible through the London Health Sciences Foundation.
