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Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) was used for the first time in a study to treat pancreatic cancer

For the first time, patients with pancreatic cancer that is particularly difficult to operate on have been treated at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg using intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT). During the operation to remove the tumor, high-dose radiotherapy is precisely targeted at the tumor bed to destroy the tumor cells remaining after the operation. The targeted use of radiation during the operation means that the surrounding organs are spared. The innovative treatment is being scientifically researched as part of a study.

Every year, more than 460,000 patients worldwide are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In around 30 percent of these patients, the tumor is classified as borderline resectable: It is located in close proximity to important organs or blood vessels, which makes complete surgical removal difficult and is associated with an expected very low survival rate after five years. Usually, such borderline resectable tumors are treated with a combination of chemotherapy, external beam radiotherapy delivered through the skin and surgery.

"Our study on IORT treatment marks an important milestone in pancreatic cancer research," says Prof. Dr. Anca-L. Grosu, Medical Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. "The targeted use of high-dose radiation while protecting healthy organs and structures can make a decisive difference for our patients and will lead to further important improvements in the treatment of this aggressive cancer."

In the IOPANCA study at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg - CCCF of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, special hardware and software systems are being used for the first time to calculate and check the desired radiation dose very precisely: intraoperative computed tomography with real-time Monte Carlo planning to predict the result and in vivo dosimetry to control the radiation dose. Further studies in this area are currently being planned. The IOPANCA study is being led by Prof. Dr. Eleni Gkika from the Department of Radiation Oncology, Prof. Dr. Uwe Wittel from the Department of General and Visceral Surgery and Prof. Dr. Dimos Baltas from the Department of Medical Physics at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.