Cancer trial gives new hope to Australian patients
An international study looking at whether high and very tightly controlled doses of radiation can cure cancers previously considered incurable is in progress at The Alfred, with the first patient completing treatment in the trial.
The Alfred’s Radiation Oncology team is using the Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) technique to target metastatic cancer – hard-to-treat lesions that spread from the original cancer site to other organs such as the brain, lung or liver.
Alfred Health Radiation Oncologist, Associate Professor Sasha Senthi, said the trial, run out of Canada, would shed light on whether treating metastatic cancer in this way would improve quality of life and extend the life span of patients.
“Once metastatic cancer spread across the body it becomes very difficult to treat without significantly damaging healthy tissue,” said Assoc. Professor Senthi. “Often there is simply no treatment path forward, including surgery.”
“SABR, delivered on a modern linear accelerator with additional technology, means we can very specifically target these types of tumours while avoiding major and potentially fatal side effects for patients.”
Melbourne man Charles Frederick, who was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and treated at The Alfred, was the first patient outside of Canada to participate in the trial.
Mr Frederick has two inoperable metastatic lesions, and said participating in the trial gave him a renewed sense of hope.
“I’m feeling really good now and I do feel like it’s extended my life and allowed me to not worry so much about the future.”
SABR-COMET 3 in an international phase III study building on the results of the original SABR-COMET phase two trial, which found that SABR treatment improved survival and maintained quality of life of participants with up to five metastatic lesions.
Eligible patients for the current trial must have one controlled primary solid tumour and one to three metastatic cancer lesions are randomised to either SABR or standard of care treatment.
The SABR COMET 3 trial will follow up on these patients and see if there are differences in the outcomes between the two groups.
Assoc. Professor Senthi said the Alfred’s Radiation Oncology team had further plans to extend this work.
“We are also recruiting patients to SABR-COMET 10, for patients with up to 10 metastases, which is really unchartered territory treatment-wise.”
“With technology improving all the time, I can see a future where every cancer patient benefits from SABR.”
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