Cancer is the most feared disease on the planet and we would give anything for a cure. It seems that miracles do happen, and we’re getting closer. Take a look at the latest discoveries in rodedr to learn what experts are saying.
Curing cancer
A recent trial of FLASH radiotherapy, which involves using high doses of radiation to slow or kill cancer cells, has shown promising results. The treatment was found to be safe and effective, indicating that it may offer a quicker and less painful alternative to traditional radiation therapy.
Typically, radiation therapy involves aiming a beam of radiation at a tumor for several minutes, with daily treatments occurring five times a week for several weeks. This process is painless, similar to getting an X-ray, and a typical treatment session takes around 15 to 30 minutes, including setup time.
Radiation therapy is a common cancer treatment that can also help relieve a patient’s pain or other symptoms caused by the disease. However, the beam of radiation used to shrink the tumor can also harm healthy tissue near it, resulting in painful side effects.
To avoid these adverse effects, doctors often have to limit the radiation dosage, which can reduce the effectiveness of the treatment in fighting the cancer.
A substitute for conventional radiation
FLASH radiotherapy is a promising substitute for conventional radiation therapy known for inducing the “FLASH effect.” In just a fraction of a second, it administers a radiation dose that is over 300 times greater than that of traditional radiation therapy.
While the phenomenon is not entirely understood, this effect allows the radiation to attack the tumor without damaging surrounding tissue.
“This offers the possibility of delivering larger doses of radiation — which could result in higher cure rates for patients with resistant tumors — without increasing side effects,” said John Breneman, principal investigator of the new trial.
According to the latest reports, it seems that in animal studies, FLASH radiotherapy has been shown to be safe and just as effective as traditional radiation therapy without causing unexpected side effects.
The University of Cincinnati team recently released the findings of their first human trial of a treatment called FAST-01. The researchers suggest that FLASH radiotherapy would be beneficial for treating brain, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers, as these areas are more susceptible to harm from conventional radiation therapy.
Additionally, this treatment may be effective for pediatric cancer patients, who tend to experience more adverse effects from radiation therapy.
