Ramtha, April 23 (Petra) – A specialized medical team at the King Abdullah University Hospital and the Saudi Radiotherapy Center made a remarkable accomplishment, treating a case of advanced colon cancer that spread to the liver, using high-precision targeted radiotherapy.

"This success reflects the hospital's commitment to providing best possible healthcare through investment in modern medical technology and training national staff at the highest levels," said the hospital's Director General, Dr. Hassan Al-Bals.

"It is a qualitative leap in the treatment of tumors using precise and safe techniques, and it underlines the pioneering status of the hospital and the Saudi Center in providing advanced medical services in Jordan and the entire region," he said.

The hospital is one of the first institutions to successfully use Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in cancer treatment, he said, stressing a determination to continue developing treatment services, "which will positively impact the health of patients across the Arab world."

"This achievement is the first of its kind at the hospital, and is a milestone in oncology treatment," said Dr. Laith Samhouri, a radiotherapy consultant at the Saudi center.

He said the medical team successfully used SBRT to treat a 61-year-old patient diagnosed with colon cancer in 2019 after being admitted to the hospital as an emergency due to acute intestinal obstruction, and that a malignant tumor was found in the colon.

The patient underwent intensive chemotherapy over a year, but the disease continued to progress in the following years, with recurrent liver metastases, requiring multiple changes in chemotherapy protocols without stable results, said Samhouri.

In late 2024, imaging studies showed a clear increase in the number and size of liver metastases, prompting the medical team to make the critical decision to use SBRT as a precise and effective treatment option, he added.

Samhouri said it is one of the latest non-surgical radiotherapy techniques, relying on directing high doses of radiation with extreme precision to tumors, while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. It is effective in treating small and medium-sized tumors in sensitive areas, such as the liver, lungs, spine, brain, and others, in a limited number of sessions, he added.

For this case, an advanced treatment plan was developed using 4D CT simulation imaging to precisely locate the tumor, along with dynamic Cone-Beam CT to direct radiation during each treatment session. It included treating four liver metastases over eight intermittent treatment sessions, he said.

Samhouri said the results were "astounding", adding that three months after treatment, tests showed all liver metastases completely disappeared and no new cancerous foci appeared with a complete response to treatment without a need for surgical intervention.

//Petra//SS


23/04/2025 17:14:12