Researchers from Mass General Hospital report on new protocol combining aggressive neoadjuvant treatment with electron IORT

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Electron-beam IORT can greatly increase the overall survival rates of patients with locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer, according to researchers from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology. (1)

According to the publication, this year, it is estimated there will be 53,070 new diagnoses of pancreatic cancer in the United States with approximately 40% representing locally advanced unresectable or borderline resectable disease. Survival rates are historically extremely poor with an estimated 41,780 deaths and a one-year survival rate of 20% according to the American Cancer Society.

In the first study of its kind, MGH researchers incorporated FOLFIRNOX into an intensive neoadjuvant treatment protocol, which included electron-beam IORT during surgery. The use of IORT was “associated with encouraging median survival rates” with patients who underwent surgery and IORT experiencing a 43% increase in their median overall survival rate (35.1 months) compared to patients who did not receive IORT after surgery (24.5 months). According to the authors, another “particularly intriguing” finding was that patients whose cancer could not be surgically removed appeared to benefit from receiving IORT alone with a reported median survival of 24.8 months.

For decades, electron IORT has been used for locally advanced and recurrent cancers, achieving excellent clinical results in both local control and survival, especially in colorectal cancers, head and neck cancers, GYN cancers, and sarcomas. These latest results indicate electron IORT may do the same for pancreatic cancer patients. In his interview with Boston Magazine, Carlos Fernandez-del Castillo, MD, the Director of the Pancreas and Biliary Surgery Program at Mass General Hospital, said “We use IORT to kill any cells left behind in the tumor bed after the tumor is removed.”

There is no better way to enhance local control than by applying radiation directly to the tumor bed during surgery. This study clearly demonstrates the added power of combining electron IORT with improved systemic therapy. — Bruce Khouri, CEO, IntraOp

“There is no better way to enhance local control than by applying radiation directly to the tumor bed during surgery. This study clearly demonstrates the added power of combining electron IORT with improved systemic therapy.” stated Bruce Khouri, President & CEO of IntraOp. “And as chemotherapy and other systemic treatments continue to evolve, we expect electron IORT to play a larger role as a critical adjunct during surgery. We remain confident that a multimodality, multidisciplinary approach to treatment will result in improved survival rates and quality of life for patients struggling with cancer.” added Khouri.

We are excited to see these new results not only demonstrating the efficacy of the Mobetron in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, but also as a central rallying point for efficient and productive multidisciplinary intervention… — Derek T. DeScioli, Vice President of Global Sales, IntraOp

The IntraOp® Mobetron® is the only self-shielded, portable LINAC capable of providing electron IORT in a standard operating room, unifying surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and medical oncologists to act as an effective team in the fight against cancer. “We are excited to see these new results not only demonstrating the efficacy of the Mobetron in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, but also as a central rallying point for efficient and productive multidisciplinary intervention,” said IntraOp Vice President of Global Sales, Derek T. DeScioli. “While much of the recent growth in IORT has been for the treatment of breast cancer, we are seeing increased interest from surgeons and radiation oncologists at leading institutions in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. looking to provide their patients the best possible options in the fight against cancer.” Added DeScioli.

(1) Keane FK, Wo JY, Ferrone CR, Clark JW, Blaszkowsky LS, Allen JN, Kwak EL, Ryan DP, Lillemoe KD, Fernandez-Del Castillo C, Hong TS. Intraoperative radiotherapy in the era of intensive neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Am J Clin Oncol. 2016 Oct 12. [Epub ahead of print]

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