Radiotherapy

Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours.

At low doses, radiation is used in x-rays to see inside the body, such as x-rays of teeth or broken bones.

At high doses, radiation therapy destroys cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA.

Tag Archive for: Radiotherapy

Recurrent malignant glioma treated with Oncothermia

Recurrent malignant glioma treated with Oncothermia

Through an observational retrospective clinical study, the Onco-Ematology Department of “Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord” in Italy evaluates the efficacy and tolerability of Oncothermia (Electro-hyperthermia) for the treatment of recurrent malignant glioma.

Method

This is a retrospective observational clinical study. Patients, diagnosed with malignant glioma, experienced a previous failure with chemotherapy and radiotherapy based on temozolamide. Then, they were told a treatment with Oncothermia (Electro-Hyperthermia).

Oncothermia was performed with short radio waves of 13.56 MHz. The surface temperature of the skin was maintained at 26 ° C. Likewise, the applied power ranged between 40 and 150 watts and the average equivalent temperature calculated in the tumors was above 40 ° C, for more than 90% of the duration of the treatment (20-60 minutes gradually).

Result

Of the 24 patients who were part of the study, 19 (79%) had glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), of which 13 were grade 1-3 and 6 grade 4. The remaining patients (21%) had astrocytoma.

The analysis of tumor response performed two months after the application of Oncotermia (Electro-Hyperthermia), showed the following results:

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  • 2 patients (8%) experienced a complete remission
  • 5 patients (21%) had a partial remission.
  • The average duration of the response was 16 months (range 6-120).

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The median survival of the entire study population was 19.5 months (range 2-156), with 55% survival rate per year and 15% at two years.

In conclusion, the treatment of Oncothermia (Electro-Hyperthermia) seems to have promising efficacy in adults with recurrent malignant glioma.

You can consult the study in the following link.

If you wish, you can find more information about Gliomas treated with Oncotermia on our website.

Oncothermia in the treatment of head and neck cancer

Oncothermia in the treatment of head and neck cancer.

Oncothermia treatment applied in conjunction with radiation or chemotherapy can improve efficacy and increase overall and disease-free survival.

In a recent study published by the Department of Radiation, Oncology at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, India, led by Dr. Balabhai, assesses the effects of Oncothermia in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy.

From a retrospective analysis of patients who received paclitaxel or cisplatin together with radical radiation and weekly sessions of Oncothermia, spectacular survival was obtained in advanced head and neck cancer. Similarly, a randomized trial to assess the role of HT with radiation therapy has shown a statistically significant improvement.

Due to high tobacco use, head and neck cancers constitute a significant burden of all cancers in Indian men.

Method

Patients were randomized to receive radiotherapy (RT) alone (control group), 26 patients, or radiation with Oncothermia (RT + ONC) (trial group), 28 patients.

The mean age of the patients in the control group was 58.42 years (45-76 years) and in the test group it was 57.71 years (31-78 years).

Patients in both groups received radiation up to a total dose of 70 Gy in 7 weeks with conventional fractionation of 5 days a week, without treatment on weekends. On the other hand, patients in the trial group received weekly RF-based ONC in addition to RT. Twenty-one patients in the control group and twenty-two patients in the experimental group received more than 60 Gy.

Result

Initial response was assessed within 7-10 days after completion of treatment, based on clinical evaluation.

A complete response was observed in 11 of 26 (42.4%) patients in the radiation alone group, while 22 of 28 (78.6%) patients had a complete response in the ONC + RT group.

The difference between the mean survival times between the RT + ONC and RT groups was almost 100 days.

In conclusion

Oncothermia is a very powerful hypoxic cell sensitizer. Therefore, Oncothermia together with radiation is an ideal combination to follow. The present randomized study, supported by the Indian Council for Medical Research, has shown a survival benefit from adding Oncothermia to radical radiation therapy.

In conclusion, both the randomized trial and the retrospective data analysis demonstrate a significant improvement in survival due to the addition of Oncothermia.

More information

Study published in the Oncothermia Journal, Volume 10, June 2014. To access the full study, you can consult the following link.

If you wish to expand the information regarding Oncotermia applied to cancers, you can visit the following link.

Elevated apoptosis in a radioresistant pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line

Elevated apoptosis and tumor stem cell destruction in a radioresistant pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line

A recent study presented by Gertrud Farika, from the 1st Department of  Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. It deals with elevated apoptosis and tumor stem cell destruction in a radioresistant pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line when radiotherapy is combined with modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT- Oncothermia)

Malignant exocrine tumors of the pancreas are among the worst to respond to oncotherapy. Despite sophisticated guidelines and new targeted therapies, the 5-year survival rate of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinomas is under 10%. The most critical factor responsible for this is the high resistance of the tumor cells to the available chemo- or radiotherapies.

Oncothermia (Modulated electro-hyperthermia – mEHT) is a complementary non-invasive cancer treatment using impedance-coupled radiofrequency to generate selective heat of <42°C causing cell stress and destruction in malignant tissue. In this study, we tested the combination of radiotherapy with Oncothermia in a radioresistant pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line Panc1.

Methods

The study was organizated in 4 groups:

  • control (C)
  • Oncothermia treated for 60 min (mEHT)
  • irradiated with 2 Gy using 137Cs (R)
  • combination treatment: irradiation followed by the same dose of Oncothermia (Oncothermia +R)

Results

Visible morphological changes were observed after 24 hours in the treated groups. An elevated number of apoptotic bodies and cell number loss were appeared. Compared to the control group, the apoptotic ratio was the highest in the Oncothermia +R group and significant elevation was measured also in the Oncothermia group. ALDH+ tumor stem cells decreased significantly after Oncothermia and Oncothermia +R treated groups compared to the control.

As it was expected the irradiated group showed the same amount
of CSC cells as the control group (due to well-known radioresistance of the cell line). The CSCs colony forming capacity was also significantly lower in the Oncothermia and Oncothermia +R group compared to the control group. Furthermore, H2Axγ and calreticulin positive cell fractions, indicating DNA double strand-brakes and ER-stress, respectively, were also significantly increased in the Oncothermia and the Oncothermia +R treated groups.

Apoptosis with Oncothermia

Oncothermia treatment alone can lead to massive apoptosis in Panc1 cells by inducing cell stress and DNA double-strand break. Irradiation alone caused some necrosis but without major effect on CSCs. The combined treatment significantly improved the efficacy of radiotherapy resulting in major apoptosis and reduction of CSCs despite of the inherent radioresistance of Pan1.

This study was funded by a grant of the National Research and Innovation Office.

For more information, you can access the original study in the following link.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour treated with Oncothermia

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour treated with Oncothermia

 

The following is the clinical case of a 70-year-old male patient. The diagnosis is malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour in the left buttock. He was treated with radiotherapy, combined with oncothermia.

 

Diagnosis

In September 2012 he was diagnosed with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour in the buttock.

 

Treatment

He received radiotherapy of 30 Gy in 10 fractions over 2 weeks in September 2012. Overall, after radiotherapy the tumour remained in progress for 2 months.

Oncothermia was started 2-3 times per week as an adjunct to radiotherapy.

 

Result

The tumour regressed with oncothermia treatment and this process continued gradually when oncothermia was maintained for 1 year.

 

 

(a) Radiotherapy treatment
(b) Radiation therapy and 24 sessions of Oncothermia
(c) Treatment with radiotherapy and 48 sessions of Oncothermia
(d) Treatment with radiotherapy and 72 sessions of Oncothermia
(e) Treatment with radiotherapy and 108 sessions of Oncothermia (1 year after starting treatment).

 

Reference

Jeung, T. , et al. (2015) Results of Oncothermia Combined with Operation, Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy for Primary, Recurrent and Metastatic Sarcoma. Case Reports in Clinical Medicine, 4, 157-168. doi: 10.4236/crcm.2015.45033.

 

If you wish, you can find more information about clinical cases treated with Oncotermia on our website.

International Lungcancer Symposium

International Lungcancer Symposium

Oncothermia is an adjuvant method for the treatment of cancers, as in the case of Lung Cancer. It stands out for being a non-invasive method that can be combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Oncothermia is present internationally in congresses and conferences. In these scientific meetings doctors make presentations to disseminate the results of clinical cases.

2nd International Symposium on lung cancer

On April 17, 2016, in Budapest, the 2nd International Symposium on Lung Cancer took place (2nd International Lungcancer Symposium). The conference was organized in different sections. Professor Szasz directed the section: “Oncothermia in Advanced Lung Cancer”, where he presented his latest research and clinical results.

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Oncothermia receives the patent as a “tumor vaccine”

Oncothermia como patente cáncer

Oncothermia receives the patent as a “tumor vaccine”

This treatment alerts our immune system by checking the cancer cells.

The Oncothermia EHY-2000 plus device received the patent, US 20150217099 A1 in August 2015, describing this treatment as “a tumor vaccine”. It refers to “a vaccine” because it stimulates the immune system and radiofrequency promotes apoptosis or cell death of tumor cells.

Oncothermia is effective for the primary tumor and its metastases. Therefore, it has a local and systemic effect.

Procedure of action of the “vaccine”

The applied technique is called Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia (mEHT). The cancer cells in our body when treated with mEHT produce “heat shock proteins” when they are heated. This treatment alerts our immune system by checking the cancer cells. In this way, these cells are recognized by our immune system and eliminate them.

We all have approximately 1000 cancer cells that circulate in our body every day. Those with a weak immune system can develop a tumor.

In conclusion

For patients diagnosed with cancer, Oncothermia is an excellent option for immunotherapy to complement conventional treatments: surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, in an integrative oncology framework.

You can obtain more information about the operation of Oncothermia for treatments in cancer patients through this link.

Oncothermia in combination with Radiotherapy exerts a radiosensitizing effect in lung cancer.

efecto radiosensibilizante en el Cáncer de PulmónOncothermia in combination with Radiotherapy exerts a radiosensitizing effect in lung cancer.

The sensitivity of tumors to radiotherapy and chemotherapy is increased by Oncothermia.

Oncothermia, also known as electro-hyperthermia, is a new treatment modality that allows for increased sensitivity to other treatments. It has been developed to overcome the problems of traditional hyperthermia by targeting malignant tissues.

A study was published in 2015 in the journal Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. It reports the outcome of combined oncothermia and RT in a 75-year-old patient with stage IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Due to the advanced age and the performance status of the patient, the combination of systemic chemotherapy and RT was deemed infeasible. Therefore, the patient instead decided to undergo oncothermia concurrently with definitive RT.

The RT was administered at a dose of 64.8 Gy in 36 fractions using a three-dimensional conformal plan technique. In this case, Oncothermia was started concomitantly with RT. And was performed for 60 min per session, two sessions per week, for a total of 12 sessions.

Follow-up computed tomography showed complete tumor response. And the patient was alive with no evidence of the disease 18 months after the completion of the treatment.

In conclusion, the present case report suggests that oncothermia combined with RT has former possessing radiosensitizing potential and no additional toxicities. May be it is a promising alternative for advanced-age and/or frail patients with locally advanced NSCLC.

In addition, you can find more information about lung cancer on our website.

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Oncothermia at the Congress of Radiotherapy Technicians (10-12 / 11/2017, Lisbon, Portugal)

Oncothermia at the Congress of Radiotherapy Technicians (10-12 / 11/2017, Lisbon, Portugal)

Filipe Cidade de Moura and Prof.András Szász

Oncothermia is an adjuvant treatment for cancer. It is present at an international level at events such as this congress and other conferences. At these scientific meetings, doctors, technicians and healthcare personnel give presentations to disseminate the results of clinical cases.

Congress in Lisboa

Therefore, on November 10-12, 2017, in Lisbon, took place the Congress of Radiotherapy Technicians (Congresso 2017art).

The congress was organized in different sections. Professor Szasz led the talk “Immunological effects with Oncothermia“, where he presented his latest research and results. Also, he detailed his studies on Oncothermia and the results in relation to the inhibitory effect on the natural activity of the malignant cells. Among other things he highlighted the stimulation of the patient’s immune response.

Objective of the research

Most of the radiation therapies act locally. The local control of the tumor is usually not enough for elongation of the survival time because the malignancy is systemic. The abscopal effect, together with immune-stimuli could extend the local method to systemic and could be effective against macro- and micrometastases, too. Our objective is presenting the abscopal effect of modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT, oncothermia).

References

https://www.justnews.pt/documentos/2015/image/file/17e/ProgramaCNART-2017.pdf

http://oncotherm.com/en/news-events/congresso-2017-art-profandras-szasz-was-invited-hold-lecture

Pancreatic Cancer treated with Oncothermia, Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

Pancreatic Cancer treated with Oncothermia, Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

The following is a case report of a 72 year old female patient. The diagnosis is pancreatic cancer. She was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, combined with oncothermia.

Diagnosis

She presented in March 2017 with a 4 cm tumour in the neck of the pancreas. In particular, the biopsy shows adenocarcinoma.

Treatment

He could not be resected surgically and started chemotherapy with Folfirinox together with 10 sessions of 90 minutes of Oncothermia.

Subsequently, in July 2017, a control CT scan was performed, showing a tumour reduction of 50%. He then started treatment with radiotherapy plus 10 sessions of 90-minute oncothermia.

Result

A new CT scan in June 2018 showed tumour stability with Ca 19-9 CEA tumour markers within normal limits.

If you wish, you can find more information about pancreatic cancer treated with Oncothermia on our website at this link.

Rectal cancer treated with oncothermia and surgery

Rectal Cancer treated with Oncothermia and Surgery

The following is a case report of a 67 year old male patient. The diagnosis is rectal cancer. He was treated with oncothermia and surgery.

Diagnosis

He presented with rectal adenocarcinoma in February 2018. In particular, it is a tumour 6 cm from the anal margin occupying one third of the intestinal lumen. In addition, the ultrasound scan showed serosal involvement, and it was classified as stage III.

Treatment

Preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy are recommended to reduce the tumour volume and perform surgical resection.

In this case, the patient categorically rejects chemotherapy and radiotherapy. On the contrary, he decided to start treatment with Oncothermia, with the aim of reducing the tumour volume and undergoing surgery.

He underwent 20 sessions of 90-minute oncothermia for 2 months, with a frequency of 3 sessions per week.

Result

Ultrasound endoscopy in May 2018 showed a T1 polypoid lesion. In September 2018 he underwent endoanal resection of the polypoid lesion with all the margins of the piece free of tumour.

If you wish, you can find more information about rectal cancer treated with Oncothermia on our website at this link.