Research Advances Treatments – Quality of Life

Penn’s ongoing research programs have advanced cancer diagnostics, developed radiation and surgical techniques and medications that improve patient outcomes. Combinations of those therapies are improving treatment effectiveness and enhancing results. Cancer care has evolved in many ways, and Penn is able to offer its patients more options for treatment.

Every day, Penn researchers look for the reasons why certain people and certain cancers respond differently to the same treatments.

“We follow our patients before, during and after their treatments, looking for the correlations between cancer therapies and clinical outcomes in an effort to provide customized medicine,” said John Plastaras, MD, PhD, of Penn Radiation Oncology. “We also ask our patients about their quality of life, assessing the impact of their underlying disease and cancer therapies on their symptoms and daily functioning.”

In addition to the current and planned clinical trials relating to proton therapy, Penn Radiation Oncology is currently enrolling patients in many clinical trials that will lead to improved diagnostic and treatment procedures, including:

Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy administers a light-sensitive drug that is absorbed by tumor cells. The drug becomes active and kills cancer cells when it is exposed to light. The current trial studies the effectiveness of using photodynamic therapy during surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells for patients with involvement of the lining of the chest and lungs (pleura) by mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Nelfinavir
A protease inhibitor used to treat or prevent HIV infections, nelfinavir was originally part of the HIV triple drug cocktail. Non-toxic on its own, the drug makes cancer cells, but not normal cells, more sensitive to radiation. Trials are now open to test its effectiveness for treating lung cancer and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Hypoxia
Many tumors live in a low-oxygen or “hypoxic” environment, which makes them more resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. Furthermore, hypoxic tumors are more likely to invade adjacent tissues and metastasize (spread) to distant body sites. Several studies are under way to test the agent known as EF5, developed at Penn, and its role in diagnosing the presence and pattern of hypoxia in tumors with positron emission tomography (PET) scans. By finding these hypoxic areas, Penn researchers hope to learn how to overcome this mechanism of cancer cell resistance to therapy.

Calypso^® 4D Localization System
Calypso is a data collection system that acts like a GPS for the body. Radiofrequency transponders are introduced to the cancer site, such as the prostate, allowing the movement of the tumor to be tracked on a screen. The state-of-the-art system ensures that the radiation is precisely delivered to the target, making the treatment both safer and more effective. Calypso has been approved for use in treating prostate cancer, and trials are under way at Penn to test the system’s effectiveness in other areas of the body.

Flaxseed
Some studies have shown that flaxseed helps protect normal tissue that may be especially sensitive to radiation, such as the lungs. When treating patients with lung cancer, radiation of the normal lung surrounding the tumor can lead to breathing problems. In this clinical trial, patients eat flaxseed muffins to help them better tolerate the treatment.

Tempol
Many patients receiving radiation for brain tumors experience hair loss during their treatment. In this clinical trial, patients use tempol, a topical hair gel that acts as a protectant, preventing hair loss.

For more information about cancer research at Penn, please call 800-789-PENN (7366) or visit PennMedicine.org.