A new way of treating glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain cancer, has shown great potential in early studies, offering hope for improving current survival rates beyond 18 months.
Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) is emerging as a potential additional treatment for glioblastoma (GB), a challenging cancer type that has been difficult to treat with existing therapies due to its aggressiveness and resistance.
The standard treatment for GB involves surgery, external beam radiotherapy, and the chemotherapy drug temozolomide. However, with survival rates below 5-10% at five years, researchers are exploring new options.
Scientists at the University of South Australia are investigating TAT by reviewing clinical studies to evaluate its effectiveness as a treatment for recurrent glioblastoma.
In a recent publication in Targeted Oncology, UniSA PhD candidate Maram El Sabri, medical radiation physicist Professor Eva Bezak, and oncologist Professor Frank Saran discuss the evidence supporting TAT.
Maram explains, “TAT delivers high doses of radiation directly to the tumor with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissue, unlike external beam radiotherapy which spreads radiation more broadly.”
Studies have shown that alpha particles in TAT are significantly more potent than standard radiation therapy, damaging cancer cells’ DNA and slowing their growth.
Glioblastomas grow rapidly and infiltrate normal brain tissue, making it challenging to deliver effective doses of radiation to kill the cancer cells.
Animal studies have shown that only a few targeting agents can penetrate the blood-brain barrier to reach the cancerous tissue, with some causing unwanted side effects in healthy tissue.
In pre-clinical experiments, TAT has increased survival rates by 16.1% in newly diagnosed cases and 36.4% in recurrent tumors, with minimal side effects.
Co-author Professor Bezak notes that TAT was initially proposed for cancer therapy by Professor Barry Allen over 20 years ago and has gained acceptance over time, showing promising results in studies.
Professor Saran highlights the lack of progress in glioblastoma treatment and the renewed interest in TAT, with the potential to significantly extend patients’ lives more effectively and affordably than current treatments.
Research into TAT and its combination with existing treatments is ongoing to develop a more targeted and effective approach to treating glioblastoma and improving patient outcomes.
