MDNews - Greater Boston

++++++++++++++++++++ + +++ +TEChNoloGy +++ ++++++++++++++++++++ A New Palliative Treatment for Bone Cancer By Colin stayton reSultS oF a 2012 reSearch trIal haVe conFIrMeD the MerItS oF a neW treatMent oPtIon For chronIc PaIn aSSocIateD WIth Bone cancer. at a g l an c e + Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MrgFUs) relieves pain by T using thermal heat to destroy nerves on measured the efficacy of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for the palliation of metastatic bone cancer. Data from the phase III trial, which was presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), found that MRgFUS significantly reduced pain in 67 percent of 142 enrolled patients. he NaTioNal sTudy the surface of the bone that surrounds the lesion. + the treatment is administered one time on an outpatient basis. + MrgFUs is noninvasive and contains no ionizing radiation. Unlike radiation equal efficacy Bone is the third most common organ to which cancer metastasizes, and bone metastases are the leading cause of cancer-related pain. Currently, the standard palliative treatment for metastatic bone cancer is radiation therapy, which reduces pain in 66 percent of patients with bone cancer — roughly the same percentage MRgFUS achieved in the phase III trial. "The results are notable in that the response rate was similar to what we see in radiation therapy," says Mark Hurwitz, MD, radiation oncologist and Director of Thermal Oncology for the Department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital. "Many of the patients had prior radiotherapy treatment, so for these patients, it was a second-line treatment. It's unusual to see a second-line treatment produce similar results as the first-line treatment." Dr. Hurwitz, who served as a trial leader and presented the results at this year's ASCO meeting, says the treatment's quick response time is also notable. The majority of patients reported a 1.1-point improvement in quality of life on the Brief Pain Inventory scale within one day of treatment. "[The study] really speaks to the impact that aggressive pain management in oncology has on a patient's sense of well-being," Dr. Hurwitz says. hope for integration In October 2012, the trial's findings led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve a commercial version of MRgFUS — known as ExAblate — as a second-line treatment option for the palliation of bone cancer. Dr. Hurwitz is hopeful MRgFUS will eventually become an integral part of first-line treatment. "I think the greatest potential for MR-guided focused ultrasound lies in how we can combine it with radiation therapy and take advantage of the best aspects of both in providing higher rates of durable relief," he says. ■ 16 | Greater Boston MD News ■ mdNews.Com therapy, which can produce toxic levels of radiation with repeated doses, MrgFUs therapy can be repeated safely as needed. + Many patients who undergo MrgFUs are able to reduce or eliminate the need for opioid analgesic medication. + MrgFUs is effective in reducing pain associated with both osteoblastic and osteolytic tumors.

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