Incurable lung cancer could be defeated with breakthrough NHS treatment
Incurable lung cancer could soon become treatable, according to experts conducting a world-first trial on the NHS .
Doctors at The Christie, the cancer specialist hospital in Manchester, are using novel radiotherapy technology to more precisely target the deadliest form of cancer .
It is the first trial in 20 years to look at how radiotherapy could benefit patients with late-stage lung cancer .
The trial, known as the thoracic umbrella radiotherapy study (TOURIST), will also be the first to repurpose new radiotherapy tools such as the volumetric modulated arc therapy that has only been used to treat patients with early-stage cancer that has not spread.
This type of radiotherapy uses a rotating machine delivering multiple beams of radiation at different strengths directly onto the tumour, rather than a single beam. It means more cancer cells can be killed while also sparing healthy tissue around the organ.
By using this newer technology in combination with immunotherapy drugs or chemotherapy, doctors hope it could change the face of lung cancer treatment.
Dr David Woolf, a consultant oncologist at The Christie and joint-chief investigator for the study, told the Telegraph the trial could change global practice for treating advanced lung cancer.
While the focus of the trial is to extend and improve the quality of life of patients, Dr Woolf believes it could also improve the "cure rate".
Approximately 85 per cent of lung cancer cases are classified as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and almost half of these are diagnosed at stage four when it has spread and is considered incurable.
This means about 20,000 people a year are diagnosed with this incurable form of lung cancer, for which treatment options are limited and focus on preserving life. Despite this, more than nine in 10 people die within five years of being diagnosed.
Lung cancer kills more people in the UK than any other form of the disease each year, accounting for about 21 per cent of annual cancer deaths.
"This is the first time we have delivered a trial in radiotherapy for stage four NSCLC patients for two decades so it's a big deal," Dr Woolf told the Telegraph. "Techniques have advanced to such an extent in this time that we believe that radiotherapy can bring additional benefit to patients undergoing their standard treatments."
He added: "This study aims to provide enough evidence to change clinical practice globally and could help up to a million people a year worldwide."
The trial will give patients targeted radiotherapy in the thorax alongside a combination of new drugs, building on the current standard of treatment.
The hypothesis is that precise radiotherapy administered earlier will help to kill cancer cells and shrink the tumour, making it easier for immunotherapy drugs, which typically provoke a response from the immune system to attack the tumour, to do their job.
It will be offered early in a patient's treatment, before any symptoms arise. Typical symptoms of advanced lung cancer can include a cough, with or without blood, breathlessness, and pain.
Prevention and delay
Dr Woolf said: "We hope giving radiotherapy earlier will help prevent or delay these [symptoms] from occurring. Also if we reduce the size of the cancer this can lead to less fatigue and increased well-being."
"By reducing the size of the cancer we can increase survival rates. This can allow drug therapy to be more successful."
The trial is already underway but the doctors are looking to recruit about 1,000 participants through the NHS, and anyone with a recent diagnosis can enquire with their cancer consultant about taking part.
Professor Matthew Hatton, an honorary professor of oncology at The University of Sheffield and the other joint chief investigator for the TOURIST trial said: "We really need to determine if, using modern radiotherapy techniques, we can improve outcomes for these patients. Our aim with this trial is to improve the quality of life, reduce symptoms associated with this disease and extend life expectancy."
