Research led by Professor Eliza Hawkes (Chief Clinical Research Officer at Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI)), with joint first authors Dr Arina Martynchyk, (honorary ONJCRI Haematology Fellow), and Dr Jack O’Shaughnessy may revolutionise treatment monitoring for a rare but aggressive cancer, potentially transforming patient care worldwide.
The multicentre study, recently published in Neuro-Oncology Advances, focuses on primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), a cancer that affects fewer than 1,000 Australians annually but requires precise treatment monitoring due to its aggressive nature.
A more precise approach
Currently, doctors use basic 2-dimensional (2D) scans to track whether treatments are working. The ONJCRI team discovered that advanced 3D imaging provides far more accurate predictions of patient outcomes.
Their research revealed striking results: patients whose tumours shrank by at least 58% using 3D measurement had dramatically better survival rates, with 83% alive at two years compared to just 38% for those with smaller reductions.
Most importantly, the current standard 2D method couldn’t distinguish between patients with good versus poor outcomes at the same time point, highlighting a critical gap in patient care.
Real impact
This research means doctors can now better predict which patients are responding well to treatment and adjust care accordingly. The team is validating these findings in clinical trials, bringing this breakthrough closer to becoming standard care for PCNSL patients globally.
Prof Hawkes’ work exemplifies ONJCRI’s mission to translate cutting-edge research into better outcomes for cancer patients, particularly those facing rare and challenging diagnoses.
Read the paper here: https://academic.oup.com/noa/article/7/1/vdaf090/8125156
Thank you to the investigator sites that contributed data to this essential study.