At the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), School of Medicine researchers presented the results of a phase two study that showed a more effective way to treat gynecologic cancers, shortening radiation treatment time from five weeks to three days. The new method, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), has been used on other types of cancer, but University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the first treatment facility to apply it to gynecologic cancers.
“Unlike traditional radiation therapy, SBRT uses focused radiation beams and targets well-defined tumors,” explained Charles Kunos, MD, study co-author, associate professor of radiation oncology and director of gynecologic radiation oncology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “The highly specific nature of the procedure not only shortens treatment time, it limits the effect of the radiation on healthy tissues.”
“The breadth and depth of this innovative cancer research presented at ASCO is truly outstanding,” said Stan Gerson, MD, director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. “Our faculty members are making tremendous advances in hematology and oncology which is reflected in their being chosen for oral and poster presentations.”