Study Shows Promising Safety, Patient Outcomes Data for MRI-Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy to Treat Pancreatic Cancer

DETROIT (Nov. 21, 2022) – Findings from a recent prospective study show promising safety and patient outcomes data for locally advanced and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer treatment using ablative Stereotactic MRI-Guided On-table Adaptive Radiation Therapy, also known as SMART. Approximately 25% of the study’s participants were patients treated at the Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center (HFPCC).

Titled "Stereotactic MRI-Guided On-table Adaptive Radiation Therapy (SMART) for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer,” this study was the first Phase II prospective international multi-institutional study to deliver ablative doses of radiation to patients with pancreatic cancer.

“As a pioneering institution in the field of MRI-guided adaptive radiation therapy, Henry Ford Health is thrilled to have led this novel study, which was the largest international study of ablative radiation for pancreatic cancer in the world,” said Ben Movsas, M.D., Medical Director of Henry Ford Health Cancer and Chair of Radiation Oncology. “Henry Ford was first in the world to treat a patient using the MRIdian MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy system back in 2017. Since then, we have treated many cancer patients with MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy.”

The primary endpoint outcomes from the study were presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) by Parag Parikh, M.D., the Principal Investigator of the study and Director of GI Radiation Oncology and MR-Guided Radiation Therapy at Henry Ford Cancer.

“In this study, 136 patients were treated with ablative MRIdian SMART at 13 international centers,” said Dr. Parikh. “The study's primary outcome measured grade 3 or higher gastrointestinal toxicity, such as nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, in the first 90 days after treatment. The study's primary safety objective was met, with zero incidence of acute grade 3 or higher gastrointestinal toxicity definitively related to SMART treatment.”

Secondary measures of the study include overall survival, local control, distant progression-free survival, and changes in patient-reported quality of life, Dr. Parikh explained. While study patients are still early in the follow-up period, preliminary clinical outcomes data of one-year local control (meaning the stopping of cancer growth) and distant progression-free survival (meaning the length of time during and after the treatment that a patient lives with the disease, but it does not get worse) were 82.9% and 50.6% respectively. One-year overall survival from diagnosis was 93.9%.

“Our HFPCC is committed to the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs that have the potential to change the paradigm of pancreatic cancer, which at present, has one of the highest mortality rates in comparison to other types of cancer,” said David Kwon, M.D., Clinical Director of the HFPCC. “As relentless advocates for our patients, we offer the most advanced evidence-based therapeutic options available today. We remain steadfast in our belief that outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer can and will continue to improve through global collaboration and critical research initiatives, such as this study.”

Henry Ford Health Cancer is one of the largest cancer programs in Michigan, providing care at five hospitals, 11 outpatient facilities and hundreds of aligned doctors’ offices throughout southeast and southcentral Michigan. Cancer experts at Henry Ford communicate seamlessly across the organization’s multiple cancer treatment locations.

In total, nearly 27,000 patients have been treated with MRIdian. Currently, 54 MRIdian systems are installed at locations around the world, where they are used to treat a wide variety of solid tumors and are the focus of numerous ongoing research efforts.

To learn more about the HFPCC, or to request an appointment, visit henryford.com/pancreaticcancer.

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About Henry Ford Health

Serving communities across Michigan and beyond, Henry Ford Health is committed to partnering with patients and members along their entire health journey. Henry Ford Health provides a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care, to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other healthcare retail.

It is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, recognized for clinical excellence in cancer care, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and multi-organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top five NIH-funded institutions in Michigan, Henry Ford Health engages in more than 2,000 research projects annually. Equally committed to educating the next generation of health professionals, Henry Ford Health trains more than 4,000 medical students, residents and fellows every year across 50+ accredited programs.

With more than 33,000 valued team members, Henry Ford Health is also among Michigan’s largest and most diverse employers, including nearly 6,000 physicians and researchers from the Henry Ford Medical Group, Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network.

The health system is led by President and CEO Robert G. Riney and serves a growing number of customers across 250+ locations throughout Michigan including five acute care hospitals, two destination facilities for complex cancer and orthopedics and sports medicine care, three behavioral health facilities, primary care and urgent care centers.