UC study examines new treatment for cancer

“This clinical trial is being conducted in patients with a common form of lung cancer, who have had standard radiation versus those who have had proton radiation. Both groups will also receive simultaneous chemotherapy,” says Dr. Emily Daugherty, assistant professor of radiation oncology at UC and a UC Health radiation oncologist. “Patients will be randomized to receive either proton or standard radiation and they will be monitored for at least two years to assess cancer control (whether or not it spreads) as well as quality-of-life outcomes and potential side effects.”

“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, with an estimated 228,150 new cases to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2019 and about 142,670 expected deaths from lung cancer this year — 80 to 85% of these cases are nonsmall cell type. Radiation therapy is a critical component of treatment, especially in these stages of lung cancer, as most patients are not treated with surgery.”

Daugherty, local principal investigator of the study, further explains that major advancements have been made over the past decade in regard to radiation, which has led to significantly improved outcomes for patients. However, patients can still experience side effects due to the location of their tumors.

“Radiation may negatively impact the normal function of the lungs and the esophagus,” she says. “We want to see if a more targeted approach could eliminate some of these residual problems.”

Daugherty adds that researchers will assess quality-of-life measures for patients, including shortness of breath, sore throat and other breathing-related issues.

“We also want to look at the cost-effectiveness of each treatment and explore the most appropriate and clinically relevant technologies in order to provide patients with the highest standard of care,” she says. “We hope that this trial will provide further insight into the potential benefits of proton therapy for lung cancer and to provide another option for our patients.”

Esophageal cancer is a disease that affects over 18,000 people per year in the United States and over 450,000 worldwide; standard care for this type of cancer is radiation with chemotherapy prior to surgery, with five-year survival rates between 20% and 35%. However, these treatments can lead to lasting side effects that can impact patients’ health and quality of life. Because of the location of most esophageal tumors, the heart and lungs can often be affected. In this trial, researchers will conduct a randomized trial comparing proton therapy to standard radiation to see if proton therapy improves survival for patients and improves outcomes related to lung and heart conditions. 

Nearly 3 million women are living with breast cancer in the United States, and radiation therapy is used for a number of these cases. Because of radiation exposure to the heart during treatment, radiotherapy carries increased risks of cardiovascular illness and death — survivors who undergo radiation have a least a two-fold increased risk of it. Proton therapy, by reducing the amount of heart and lung tissue exposed to radiation in the treatment of breast cancer, has the potential to lessen damage. However, proton therapy is more expensive and has yet to show improved health outcomes for patients with breast cancer. This randomized clinical trial will evaluate whether or not patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer experience cardiovascular issues following treatment, as well as their overall quality of life and cancer recurrences.