Loss of Appetite Turn Out to Be Pancreatic Cancer: Concurrent Proton and Chemotherapy Achieves a Turnaround!
In October last year, 57-year-old Ms. Chen suffered from a loss of appetite, losing nearly 10 kilograms within three months. After seeking medical attention at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, she was diagnosed with Stage III pancreatic cancer. However, because the tumor had already invaded major blood vessels, it could not be surgically removed. She then visited the Proton and Radiation Therapy Center at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for a consultation to see if proton therapy could provide further treatment options.
During her consultation at the Department of Radiation Oncology with Director Chang Tung-Chieh, Ms. Chen and her family learned—thanks to Director Chang’s warm and professional explanation—that besides surgical treatment, pancreatic cancer can also be treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy). However, conventional radiation therapy (photon therapy) is limited by its energy penetration depth, causing significant damage to the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, the radiation dose cannot be increased during conventional chemoradiotherapy, and chemotherapy often has to be halted due to side effects, making it difficult to achieve optimal efficacy. In contrast, proton therapy can lower the dose delivered to the gastrointestinal tract and reduce side effects, allowing a higher radiation dose to be delivered directly to the tumor for better therapeutic outcomes than conventional photon therapy. Consequently, Ms. Chen and her family decided to undergo concurrent proton therapy combined with chemotherapy.
Translation:
During the approximately one-and-a-half-month course of concurrent proton therapy and chemotherapy, Ms. Chen did not experience severe diarrhea or the need to halt treatment—issues commonly seen with conventional therapy. She had only mild diarrhea, which did not affect her overall nutritional status. As a result, the chemotherapy administered concurrently with proton therapy proceeded according to the original plan without any dose reductions or interruptions. Ms. Chen was also able to continue receiving consolidation chemotherapy following the concurrent proton and chemotherapy treatment, ultimately achieving the desired optimal therapeutic outcome.
During the approximately one-and-a-half-month course of concurrent proton therapy and chemotherapy, Ms. Chen did not experience severe diarrhea or the need to halt treatment—issues commonly seen with conventional therapy. She had only mild diarrhea, which did not affect her overall nutritional status. As a result, the chemotherapy administered concurrently with proton therapy proceeded according to the original plan without any dose reductions or interruptions. Ms. Chen was also able to continue receiving consolidation chemotherapy following the concurrent proton and chemotherapy treatment, ultimately achieving the desired optimal therapeutic outcome.
Three months after completing proton therapy, Ms. Chen underwent a PET scan to evaluate the tumor’s response to treatment. The results showed complete local control with no metabolic activity detected. Subsequent CT scans revealed that the original tumor had shrunk from 4 cm to approximately 2 cm, indicating a favorable response and suggesting that the remaining mass is very likely residual scar tissue post-treatment. She will continue to be monitored closely.
Proton radiation therapy has brought hope for a cure to pancreatic cancer patients whose tumors were previously considered inoperable and left doctors with limited options. Utilizing the latest proton radiation therapy enables patients to achieve pain-free treatment, superior efficacy, and fewer side effects, thereby reversing their condition. In the future, we hope more patients can stage a successful comeback just like Ms. Chen!
