Multi-variable models of dose response for precision radiotherapy of advanced lung cancer

2020.10.21 | Graduate School of Health

Thursday 29 October at 14:30, Christina Maria Lutz defends her PhD dissertation entitled "Multi-variable models of dose response for precision radiotherapy of advanced lung cancer".

Radiotherapy treatment of inoperable locally-advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients often involves irradiation of extensive volumes of the lungs. With this follows a risk of serious, sometimes lethal, toxicities. The relationship between the radiation dose administered and the most prominent lung toxicity, radiation pneumonitis, is the subject of this ph.d. project. The relationship can be modeled, and a reliable model can be used to individualize the radiation dose for future patients with the purpose of minimizing toxicity and increasing radiation dose, and with this treatment effect. We showed that large patient cohorts are required to identify reliable models. For a large lung cancer patient cohort, we found a clear correlation between the mean dose to the lungs and lung toxicity. One approach to reduce the radiation dose to the lungs in general is adaptive radiotherapy, which was developed and introduced for all lung cancer patients at Aarhus University Hospital in 2013. Following the introduction of adaptive radiotherapy, we can show a large reduction in lung toxicity without compromizing treatment effect. In addition to this, survival was improved, illustrating the importance of a modern, adaptive radiotherapy treatment for patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer.

The summary is written by the PhD student.   

The defence is public and will be held online via Zoom.  Please read the attached press release for more information.      

Contact:

PhD student Christina Maria Lutz 

Mail: chrilutz@rm.dk  

Phone: (+45) 28262184 

Read full press release