A phase 2 clinical trial at UT Southwestern Medical Center suggests that targeted radiation before surgery can improve outcomes for patients with kidney cancer involving the inferior vena cava.
Key facts
- •About 4% to 10% of kidney cancer patients develop a tumor thrombus within the inferior vena cava.
- •The study followed 23 patients between July 2015 and January 2024, with a median follow-up of approximately nine years.
- •The 71.4% one-year recurrence-free rate exceeded the study's historical benchmark of 55.7%.
- •The trial was co-led by Raquibul Hannan and Vitaly Margulis of UT Southwestern Medical Center.
- •The treatment approach aims to potentially allow for less invasive surgical methods, such as robotic or laparoscopic surgery.
A phase 2 clinical trial conducted at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health found that using targeted radiation before surgery can effectively treat kidney cancer that has grown into the inferior vena cava. The study, published in JAMA Oncology, involved 23 patients treated between 2015 and 2024. Results showed that 71.4% of patients remained free of cancer recurrence one year after the procedure, surpassing the study's historical benchmark.
By the numbers
Clinical Trial Methodology
The trial utilized stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), to deliver high-dose radiation to the tumor thrombus. Following radiation, 22 of the 23 participants underwent kidney removal and a thrombectomy four to 14 days later. The research team is now proposing a national randomized trial to further evaluate if this combined approach can reduce surgical complications and the overall burden of treatment.
Observations of the Abscopal Effect
Researchers observed the 'abscopal effect' in two out of three patients whose cancer had spread prior to treatment. This phenomenon occurs when localized radiation therapy triggers an immune response that causes tumors outside the radiation field to regress. In the case of participant Diane Gentry, her kidney tumor and thrombus were surgically removed, while tumors that had spread to her lungs regressed without direct radiation or drug therapy.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Medical Xpress.
