One-dose radiation trials in reach

By MONIQUE DEVEREUX

Trials of a revolutionary breast cancer treatment that has shown promising results in the United Kingdom and Australia, may start in New Zealand next year.

The Transtasman Radiation Oncology Group (Trog) is finalising details of its clinical trials proposal and has already asked the Cancer Society to fund the equipment.

The new technique involves a one-dose, 25-minute treatment rather than six weeks of radiation.

The radiation is given straight after surgery, which means waiting lists would be significantly reduced.

Auckland and Wellington oncologists agree the trials look promising but the cost factor has so far prevented any beginning in New Zealand.

Each Machine used to deliver the one-dose treatment costs around $1 million.

The treatment this week impressed specialists at a US cancer conference after preliminary results from the British trials were released, showing the women were faring just as well as those having conventional radiation therapy.

The British trials have been running 18 months.

The same treatment is also being used in three Australian trials being run by Trog, a successful research group set up by New Zealand specialists 12 years ago but based in Australia.

Dr David Lamb, chairman of Trog's scientific committee and Wellington Hospital's head of cancer radiation services, said the proposal to run clinical trials in Wellington would be submitted to the Ministry of Health's ethics committee by April.

If successful the trials would start a short time later.


nzherald.co.nz/health