The CTC is coordinating a major UK clinical trial to test whether proton beam therapy (PBT) can significantly improve survival rates for patients with mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lung.
The HIT-Meso trial is the first randomised clinical trial in the UK to investigate PBT for mesothelioma, and has gained widespread media attention this week. Researchers hope the treatment could increase two-year survival rates from around 30 per cent to 50 per cent, potentially reshaping national treatment guidelines.
Mesothelioma is usually caused by asbestos exposure and most commonly affects the lining around the lungs (pleural mesothelioma). More than 2,700 people are diagnosed in the UK each year, predominantly older men.
There is currently no cure, and treatment options are limited, with overall survival rates remaining poor.
Standard radiotherapy can help control small areas of mesothelioma, such as painful tumours, but is not usually suitable for treating the full lining of the lung, where the disease spreads. Treating such a large area with conventional radiotherapy risks damaging vital organs including the heart, lungs and liver, leading to serious side effects.
PBT uses targeted beams of protons that deposit most of their energy directly in the tumour, minimising radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. For mesothelioma, this approach could dramatically reduce radiation to critical organs, potentially allowing more effective treatment with fewer side effects.
More can be read over at UCL News, including an interview HIT-Meso patient Peter Littlefield, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma last autumn after developing a persistent cough and breathlessness.
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