AntwerpA cure is often no longer possible for patients with metastatic cancer. But there is good news: a study by doctor Carole Mercier, a young researcher at the University of Antwerp (UA) and who works as a radiation oncologist in the Antwerp Iridium Cancer Network, now shows that patients with a few metastases can still be helped with just one high dose radiation.
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On average, about 17,000 people in Belgium die every year from metastatic cancer. Metastatic means that the initial cancer has also affected other organs (usually bone, lungs or liver). Once at such a stage, healing is usually no longer possible.
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There was a lot of uncertainty about the best radiation treatment for patients with metastatic cancer. That’s why Dr. Carole Mercier started a study in 2017 to investigate this further. “A total of 90 patients with a limited number of metastases were irradiated to high doses in five, three or one time,” Mercier said. “In the long term, a single radiation treatment turned out to be at least as safe and effective as the longer radiation series. No significant side effects were noted and this treatment had no impact whatsoever on the quality of life of the patients. In addition, there were very promising results to report in terms of disease control. On average, it took 15 months for a possible relapse to occur and more than one quarter (27%) of all patients had still not relapsed two years after the radiation. ”
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Simple and effective
These results are important for two reasons. “Firstly, a single radiation treatment is more comfortable for the patient, cheaper for the community and it allows to treat more patients in a timely manner with the available resources. Moreover, in these COVID times, it is important to limit the number of hospital visits as much as possible, especially for vulnerable cancer patients. Finally, this simple yet effective treatment offers the hope to countless patients with metastatic cancer that their disease will be better and longer under control, without unpleasant side effects, ”said Mercier.
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The study has now been continued: Dr. Mercier is now investigating whether such a single high dose radiation can also help patients with more metastases. This study is running in the Iridium Cancer Network as well as at UZ Gent and is financially supported by a grant from Kom op tegen Kanker. The results are expected in 2022.
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