Innovative treatment of carcinoma of the anal canal using speed Arc Therapy. Oncologist Idriss Troussier.
Young but already well-known French oncologist Idriss Troussier received the Lucien Mallet Prize and was named the Best Radiotherapist in France in 2014 thanks to his work in the field of radiotherapy treating rectal oncology. (Un carcinome épidermoïde du canal anal classification cT2 N2 M0, UST3N +.)
In his presentation, Dr. Troussier compares existing and widely used treatment methods and determines the best approach for the patient using the tomotherapy technique already widespread at that time, but with the speed ARC function.
The best technique for treating cancer of the anal canal.
The best technique - is an individually selected treatment technique for a specific patient. And this is perhaps the main difference of Western medicine. So far, in many countries of Africa and the countries of the former USSR, the treatment is done with what they have in place, actively convincing the patient that they would be treated the same way everywhere (this is partly true since radio/chemotherapy is used, but with different techniques, which is the main difference), in Europe, namely, in France, a complete list of necessary tests is carried out in order to select the most individual protocol for a patient.
This approach helps not only increases the chances of a full recovery but also improves the quality of life during and after the treatment. This is especially important for young people and for women who have never given birth before.
However, nowadays, Arc therapy and tomotherapy are reference treatments in many developed countries. At the time of Dr. Troussier's scientific work on determining the best technique for the treatment of anal canal oncology, the only drawback of arc therapy was the insufficiently studied effect of this technique in the long term. Today, we can safely say that speed arc therapy is the best method, even compared to tomotherapy.
The quality of radiotherapy is evaluated according to the following criteria:
-accuracy
-rapidity
-strength
Namely, the device should be as accurate as possible so that the dose can be delivered as much as possible and at the same time the vital organs would be protected.
Delivery should last as quickly as possible, no longer than 3 MINUTES! If the patient lies under the device for 15-20, or even 40 minutes (for example, a cyberknife and prostate cancer), this is inconvenient and impacts the effectiveness of treatment, and there is also a risk of receiving an additional dose of radiation.
The faster and more accurate the dose delivery - the higher the dose itself; the higher the dose - the more effective the treatment.
Can a cyberknife or stereotactic radiosurgery be used for anal cancer treatment?
No, the procedure itself is not possible, since usually this technique is used on small tumors, while anal cancers are usually quite large.
What is the advantage of speed arc therapy?
Speed, the effectiveness of treatment, and most importantly safety. Thanks to the Monte Carlo software, it can be performed even for women who have never given birth without the risk of radiation of the reproductive organs.
What will happen if the tumor is irradiated with outdated radiation therapy devices such as Varian Clinac?
This is not only a matter of the device but also of the software and qualifications of the contouring personnel/dosimetrists. An insufficient dose can provoke a relapse over time, and a relapse, as you know, doesn’t come alone, but most often with metastases that behave extremely aggressively and are difficult to treat. In medicine and oncology, they often refer to the will of God, but one should not deny the importance of quality treatment. The better the treatment, the greater the chance of a full recovery.
What is the danger of relapse?
First, it’s not very good for the quality of life, since most often you will have to go through the amputation of the anus, and a person would only go to the toilet in a special package. Second, the chances of remission are much less.
That is why it is very important to diagnose and treat qualitatively from the very beginning!
Can young people get cancer of the anal canal?
Feedback on the treatment of colorectal cancer - Eugene 35 years old, Novosibirsk.
I am 35 years old, father of three children, I was diagnosed with cancer of the anal canal of the third stage in October 2018. (analyzes showed that in my case it wasn’t hereditary oncology, moreover, I wasn’t in the risk factor group, I eat right, I don’t eat much meat, I go in for sports, I don’t smoke and I rarely drink, weight is normal). Simply, it was a matter of bad luck, as Dr. Troussier says, this is Russian roulette and we can only minimize the risks, but not completely remove them.
Over the course of a year, our doctors were convincing me that it was hemorrhoids and that if there were no improvements, they would operate on me. Having no one who had cancer in the family, the doctors simply decided that I could not have oncology at that age. It never occurred to anyone to refer me to additional tests. The disease progressed very quickly. Then everything was like in a dream, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy. But the worst thing happened later... Relapse with metastases in the abdominal cavity (T4) because they gave an insufficient dose during irradiation.
Now that I am undergoing treatment in France with Dr. Troussier, I really believe that the new treatment techniques will help me see how my children grow. The main purpose of my appeal is to warn that young people can also have colorectal cancer and that all international studies indicate a decrease in the total age of patients. Even though such cases are rare, they still appear, and I am an example of this, and such cases are becoming more and more often. The main symptom that alerted me was the blood in the feces, and if, God forbid, this happens to you, immediately visit a specialist and ask him to conduct the necessary tests to exclude oncology. And make sure to get the Speed Arc treatment so that you don’t have to regret until the end of the days …
The price of the treatment of colorectal cancer on the Versa HD device using the Speed Arc system, with the Monaco software and artificial intelligence, starts from 5,000 euros. This is the most affordable price in all of Europe!
