Breakthrough Treatment Offers Hope for Patients with Extensive Lung Metastases

Breakthrough Treatment Offers Hope for Patients with Extensive Lung Metastases

New study demonstrates feasibility of targeting over 15 lung tumors with precision radiotherapy and advanced respiratory control.

A groundbreaking case report published in Cureus reveals a novel approach for treating patients with numerous lung metastases previously deemed untreatable. For the first time, researchers at Wuwei Cancer Hospital successfully combined Carbon Ion Radiotherapy (CIRT) and High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation (HFOV) to irradiate all lung lesions—16 in one patient and 15 in another—in a single session, achieving prolonged tumor control and survival.

CIRT’s precision, enabled by its Bragg peak effect, spared healthy lung tissue despite high radiation doses, while HFOV minimized respiratory motion under anesthesia. Both patients, whose cancers had progressed despite chemotherapy and immunotherapy, survived 22 months with manageable side effects. One achieved complete tumor regression; the other showed significant partial response. Until this date, the two patients are still alive.

“This marks a paradigm shift,” said corresponding author Dr. Yee-Min Jen. “Patients with polymerastatic lung disease, once without options, now have hope for durable control.” The technique’s success hinges on CIRT’s ability to target multiple tumors without exceeding lung dose limits and HFOV’s motion suppression, critical for precision. Researchers emphasize the need for larger trials but highlight its potential to extend survival and quality of life for those facing terminal diagnoses.

This study offers a lifeline to patients told no further treatments exist—proving even in despair, science can light a path forward.

The group of Wuwei cancer hospital has extended the treatment for patients with up to 30 lung lesions.

For more details, read the full open-access article in Cureus (DOI: 10.7759/cureus.79069).