Public HealthResearchers Focus On Targeted Radiation For Pancreatic Cancer Tumors
According to the American Cancer
Society, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cancer killer in the
country, with more than 42,000 new cases expected to be diagnosed this
year and more than 35,000 deaths. In New Jersey alone, 1,000 deaths are
estimated from the disease, which only has a five-year, five-percent
survival rate. That is why researchers at The Cancer Institute of New
Jersey (CINJ) have launched a new clinical trial, which aims to determine
the effectiveness of an advanced radiation therapy technique on those with
pancreatic cancer. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School.
Radiation therapy involves using a beam of high-energy particles or waves
such as x-rays to destroy or damage cancer cells. In this study,
researchers through the Department of Radiation Oncology at CINJ and
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital will use a treatment called
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which is considered a more
sophisticated delivery technique that can increase the amount of radiation
to the pancreatic tumor while keeping the dose to normal organs at a safe
level. This is done through multiple computer-controlled radiation beams.
In this trial, the amount of radiation to the tumor site will be gradually
increased throughout the treatment period to determine the maximum safe
dosage.
Salma Jabbour, MD, who is a radiation oncologist at CINJ and an assistant
professor of radiation oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School, is the lead investigator of the study. She notes IMRT can afford
a patient an improved quality of life, "By being able to provide a
specified amount of radiation to a targeted area, we will be able to
preserve more healthy tissue and reduce side effects that may cause
interruptions in the treatment cycle."
Selected patients will undergo various testing before and during
treatment, including x-rays, blood work and physical exams. For most of
the six-month treatment period, participants will receive a combination of
both IMRT and chemotherapy. Regular follow-up visits would be required
for at least the first two years.
Patients at or above age 18 with the diagnosis of locally advanced
pancreatic cancer (pancreatic cancer that has not spread to the lungs or
liver) that cannot be operated on are eligible to take part in the trial,
although other criteria must be met. The study is part of the CINJ
Oncology Group (CINJOG), which is comprised of physicians throughout New
Jersey from the CINJ Network of hospitals. For additional information on
how to participate, individuals should call 732-235-7251.
Clinical trials, often called cancer research studies, test new treatments
and new ways of using existing treatments for cancer. At CINJ,
researchers use these studies to answer questions about how a treatment
affects the human body and to make sure it is safe and effective. There
are several types of clinical trials that are currently underway at CINJ,
including those that diagnose, treat, prevent, and manage symptoms of
cancer. Many treatments used today -- whether it is drugs or vaccines;
ways to do surgery or give radiation therapy; or combinations of
treatments -- are the results of past clinical trials.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey