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"new" radiation therapy technique (SMART)
Stereotactic MR-guided on-table adaptive radiation therapy (SMART) for borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer
Anyone experienced and/or familiar with this "new" radiation technique wherein the beam continually realigns in real time during treatment by tracking the tumor as the body vibrates/moves, which I believe is unlike "traditional" therapy wherein the beam is focused on one spot based on the previous day's scan?
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I had this type of radiation for a tumor in what is left of my pancreas. I tolerated the procedure well. The radiation treatment occurred at KU.
Did the treatment get rid of the tumor?
I received Proton Beam Therapy at Mayo Clinic Rochester. I had zero side effects during treatment and the tumor responded very well. I believe they offer PBT in Minnesota and Arizona and are building one in Jacksonville.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/proton-beam-therapy-program/home/orc-20185488
This is interesting but very bizarre to me as my oncology care is under UCLA right now and one of the study locations cited is at UCLA. After reading about other posts about radiation treatments using Viewray I asked my UCLA medical oncologist about radiation he replied, “We don’t do that” and that they considered it basically dated technology. I can only assume now he’s not familiar with Viewray or MRIdean. After reading someone’s post a few months ago that Dr. Percy Lee (he’s at City of Hope in Irvine), had trained with the team at Harvard that did MRIdean radiation, I decided to set it up for myself. I hope to switch to City of Hope in Irvine for my pancreatic care once the construction on their hospital is completed (October 2025). Thank you @stageivsurvivor for posting the link to this study.
I had 3 sessions within a 2 week period on a liver lesion “remnant” of 0.9cm. I tolerated the procedure well and had little nausea and weakness, but i was also undergoing chemo at the same time period. Next week I meet with the radiologist/oncologist to find out how much of that lesion was obliterated.
No, the tumor is not gone however, my CA 19–9 is 30, which is in the normal range. I am hoping that it continues to be inactive and the doctors have been very encouraged by the results of my radiation and chemo.
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1 ReactionOk that’s great! Are you still receiving chemo?
No I finished chemo in June 2024.
Is the tumor characterized as NED, No Evidence of Disease? Ask your oncologist about that, please.
I will do that. I have an appointment at the oncologist this coming Monday. Thank you for your advice.