“The combination of priming the immune system with intraoperative photodynamic therapy and then delivering proton therapy may have worked synergistically to stimulate the patient’s immune system to better fight the cancer,” Simone said. “More research on a cellular level is needed.”
Proton therapy is a unique type of radiation therapy that can more precisely target tumors while better protecting nearby normal tissue from the harmful radiation effects.
Normal tissues beyond and before the tumor cells are better spared, leaving far fewer side effects for patients, which is especially important with lung-sparing pleurectomy and decortication surgery.
With a diffuse tumor such as pleural mesothelioma covering a large surface, Simone believes proton therapy is considerably more beneficial than traditional photon therapy, including the intensity-modulated radiation therapy that is often used.
“Given the ability of proton therapy to better protect normal tissues, no patient in the entire cohort experienced any notable acute or late toxicities,” he said. “It seems to be a safe and highly effective option for these patients with great potential to reduce side effects, and even improve clinical outcomes.”
“The combination may have worked synergistically to better fight the cancer,” Dr. Charles Simone, senior study author, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “Results were impressive…with better than expected clinical outcomes.”
