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Radiation Therapy Effective for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours FAIRFAX, Va -- November 20, 2009 -- Radiation therapy is effective in achieving local control and palliation in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNTs), despite such tumours being commonly considered resistant to radiation therapy, according to a study published in the November 15 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics. PNT is a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that can stay confined to the liver and often cause death from liver damage. Since it is usually unable to be removed by surgery, external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is an attractive option for managing the disease, but the role of EBRT is largely unknown because of the low incidence of this tumour type and, as a result, very few related studies. Theodore S. Lawrence, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and colleagues sought to determine if PNTs are not as resistant to radiation therapy as was previously thought. The researchers reviewed records from 36 patients with PNTs who were treated between 1986 and 2006 with radiation therapy. They found that in 39% of patients, the tumour shrunk to less than half its pre-treatment size after being treated with EBRT. In addition, patients who received EBRT achieved high rates of local control and 90% of patients experienced palliation of symptoms such as pain, nausea, vomiting or obstructive jaundice. “While this particular type of cancer can have potentially devastating effects on a patient, this study proves that using external beam radiation therapy may permit these patients to live longer, which is a very positive breakthrough for a disease that can have very negative outcomes,” said Dr. Lawrence SOURCE: American Society for Radiation Oncology E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version