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| Radiation oncologists at Thomas Jefferson university Hospital are rethinking how
to give chemotherapy, taking advantage of its unique properties. They are giving
chemotherapy more frequently than usual and in tinier doses, targeting the
process by which a new blood supply is created feeding tumor growth, called
angiogenesis.
Traditionally, most cancer therapies are used in highest possible doses, says
Adam Dicker, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of radiation oncology at Jefferson
Medical college of Thomas Jefferson university in Philadelphia and at
Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center. But anti-angiogenesis drugs have caused people
to rethink chemotherapy. “Instead of targeting the tumor, perhaps you can target
the tumor-associated blood supply,” he says.
Dr. Dicker and his Jefferson co-workers studied the chemotherapy drug docitaxel
(Taxotere) in the laboratory in lower-than-usual doses, about one-tenth the
clinical dose. They wanted to see the effects of radiation and the drug, which
makes cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation, on endothelial cells, which are
involved in angiogenesis. They found the lower doses of drug affect different
parameters of angiogenesis and can increase the effects with radiation. “This is
a unique approach in combination therapy, targeting the vasculature,” Dr. Dicker
said.
Dr. Dicker will present the group’s findings March 27 at the annual meeting of
the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in New Orleans.
“What’s unique about this is that we’ve used a common chemotherapy agent in an
antiangiogenic manner and potentiated that,” Dr. Dicker says. “This area is
particularly interesting because these drugs, which are FDA approved, can have
antiangiogenic effects.
“It’s a totally new way of thinking, it’s completely changed the paradigm,” says
Dr. Dicker. “With all the interest in anti-angiogenesis, you can rethink how you
give chemotherapy and radiation.”
According to Dr. Dicker, recent research have shown dramatic effects with
conventional chemotherapy, but used in a different way. Instead of using large
doses infrequently, every three weeks or so, for example, giving the time the
body needs to recover from chemotherapy, preclinical studies have been using
lower doses more frequently, maybe twice a week.
They next plan to take this approach, using low-dose docetaxel and radiation
therapy, in a study in lung cancer together with colleague Maria Werner-Wasik,
M.D., assistant professor of radiation oncology at Jefferson Medical College.
Editor's Note: The original news release can be found here.
http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/ne...asp?durki=10263
Alan
http://veloceraptor.blogspot.com/
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