The purpose of this study is to determine if Proton Therapy can provide effective and safe treatment for Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors of the spine and Neurofibromas of the spine.
Proton therapy may provide the benefits of local control or palliation, while reducing the risk associated with photon radiation, by delivering therapeutic doses to a well-defined target area with significant reduction in the integral dose. A dosimetry comparison of protons and photons at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute confirmed the feasibility of proton irradiation of these tumors with less exposure of normal tissue to radiation than expected with photon techniques. This reduced radiation exposure to uninvolved normal tissues is expected to decrease the risk of radiation-induced second malignancies and neoplasms.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
30 CGE at 6 CGE/Fx
25 CGE at 5 CGE/Fx
Local Control
Time frame: 7 years after completion of RT
Progression or palliation of pain, numbness, or weakness
Time frame: At 3, 6, 12, 24 and 60 months after RT
Number of adverse events
Time frame: At 3, 6, 12, 24, 60 months and 15 years after RT
Quality of Life
Time frame: 3, 6, 12, 24 and 60 months after RT
Rate of malignant transformation within the high-dose volume
Time frame: 15 years after RT
Rate of second malignant primaries outside of high dose volume, but located in tissues exposed to radiation within the beam path
Time frame: 15 years after RT
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