12/12/2025
📢 Today, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘁 has released a groundbreaking study 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝗼𝗳-𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 for patients with oropharyngeal cancer.
Oropharyngeal cancer is a globally increasing cancer with 𝟭𝟬𝟬.𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿*. When treated with advanced photon-based radiotherapy (IMRT) and chemotherapy, 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 include weight loss, feeding tubes dependence, dry mouth and loss of taste.
This study provides 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟭 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 with following main conclusions:
● 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 with the overall survival rate of 90.9% at 5 years after IMPT versus 81.0% after IMRT (p=0.045)
● 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝘆 𝟰𝟮%
● 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 (grade 3 and worse) compared to IMRT. Toxicities include lymphopenia, neutropenia, xerostomia, dysphagia, and gastrotomy-tube dependance.
These findings position 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 as a 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, ready to transform the global standard of care for oropharyngeal cancer.
The trial brought together 𝟮𝟬+ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 and involved 𝟰𝟰𝟬 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. It is the 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟭 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟯 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 comparing IMPT with IMRT for oropharyngeal cancer.
IBA congratulates Prof. Steven Frank, principal investigator of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Clinical Trial Consortium, and all the involved institutions and experts who made this landmark trial possible.
“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐𝘔𝘗𝘛 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥-𝘰𝘧-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴.”
👉 Read the full article here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01962-2/abstract
*https://gco.iarc.fr/en
UT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Miami Cancer Institute, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Inova Health, Willis Knighton Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Maryland, University of Washington, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University - The Feinberg School of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, University of Florida, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Harvard University, New York Proton Center, UTHealth Houston
The Lancet Group
Annual Conference of the Particle Therapy Cooperative Group (PTCOG), The National Association for Proton Therapy, European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
