Clinical trial launched to test new treatment technique for bowel cancer

Cancer Research UK this week launches a new trial for patients with bowel cancer that has spread to the liver to see whether a newradiotherapy treatment technique is more effective than standard chemotherapy.

Researchers at trial centres across the UK and coordinated at Oxford University will test a new treatment called Radio-embolisation, a form of internal radiotherapy that uses the tumour’s blood supply to target multiple sites of disease within the liver. They will combine this new treatment with standard chemotherapy in patients recently diagnosed with bowel cancerthat has spread to the liver.

The first patient will start the treatment this week at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.

Despite major advances in treating advanced bowel cancer, the number of patients who survive beyond five years remains disappointingly low – less than 10 per cent…. (more…)