Researchers have revealed that a specific radiation therapy is “safe and effective” in controlling cancer growth in patients with spinal tumors, as well as prolonging survival, according to the journal Cancer.
Researchers from the Research Center Hospital for Charged Particle Therapy at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Japan have hailed the therapy, carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT), as a promising alternative for patients whose spinal tumors are unable to be surgically removed.
According to the researchers, spinal tumors are rare, accounting for between 4-13% of all orthopedic tumors.
The researchers say that spinal tumors can be one of the most challenging tumors for surgeons to operate on, as it is often impossible to abolish the whole growth when surgically removing the tumor because of the closeness to other important organs.
CIRT is known to be an effective way of treating specific types of inoperable sarcomas – tumors that arise from tissues such as bone or muscle.
The radiotherapy works by using carbon ions to guide radiation to the tumor. According to the researchers, the treatment is minimally invasive and usually avoids damaging healthy tissues adjacent to the tumor.
The study authors explain:
“For patients who have spinal sarcomas that are not suitable for surgery with sufficient margins, radiotherapy has been considered the second best local treatment option.
Although most sarcomas are considered radio resistant and difficult to control with conventional radiotherapy, these advantageous treatment profiles with carbon ion beams contribute toward achieving a lower irradiated dose to the spinal cord and an improved local control rate for spinal sarcomas.”
In 1996, the researchers began clinical trials with carbon ion radiotherapy at the NIRS. The researchers conducted an analysis of 47 patients enrolled in the trial, who had undergone carbon ion radiotherapy for the treatment of spinal tumors between 1996 and 2011, in order to determine the safety and effectiveness of the treatment on these particular sarcomas.
Of the 47 patients, 37 had received no previous treatment and 12 had developed recurrent tumors after previous removal of tissue.
Results of the analysis showed that 79% of the patients showed control of tumor growth for a minimum of 5 years.
The report also revealed that 52% of the patients survived for at least five years, with 48% of patients surviving a minimum of five years without cancer progression.
The researchers report that patients experienced no “fatal toxicities” from the treatment. However, seven patients suffered vertebral compression, one patient reported a skin reaction and one patient reported a spinal cord reaction.
At the last follow-up appointment in the trial, 22 of the 28 surviving patients had the ability to walk without supporting devices.
The study authors say that these results show that the CIRT treatment is safe for those suffering from spinal tumors:
“The results from this study demonstrate that CIRT appears to be both effective and safe as a treatment for patients who have unresectable spinal sarcoma.
In particular it will be useful for small tumors and tumors separated from the spinal cord.”
The researchers note, however, that further investigation of this treatment over a longer period is needed.