Efficacy of Radiation Therapy in Cervical Cancer can be Predicted by Nanoparticles

Effectiveness of radiation therapy (RT) for cervical cancer may be evaluated with the help of nanoparticles as per a Russian study at the National University of Science And Technology MISIS, published in International Journal of Biomedicine.

More than 16000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually in Russia. It is the 5th most frequently occurring cancer among them.

Cervical Cancer - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications & Prevention
Cancer cervix refers to cancerous growth in the cervix and usually occurs in the transition called squamo-columnar junction.

‘Effectiveness of radiation therapy (RT) for cervical cancer may be evaluated with the help of nanoparticles. This may help assess the effectiveness of radiation therapy and predict the recovery period in patients. ’

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The increase in the relapse rate of cancer challenges the effectiveness of radiation therapy. It is thus crucial to develop suitable diagnostics for early treatment.

Diagnostic method for Cervical Cancer

The study team has developed a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that can be used to analyze the changes in the morphology of blood cells – erythrocytes during radiation therapy. This allows detailed viewing of the cellular morphology (extracellular vesicles), along with the number and size of nanoparticles found on their surface at different stages of RT.

Pap smear and Cervical Cancer Screening
Pap smear is the most common test used in screening cervical cancer caused by an infection with human papilloma virus. Pap smear should be repeated every 1 to 3 years till the age of 65 years.

The method thereby helps assess the effectiveness of radiation therapy and predict the recovery period. The efficacy of the diagnostic method was validated through the venous blood samples collected from cervical cancer patients.

“It is known that erythrocytes carry gases (oxygen, nitric oxide, etc.), and also have receptors for a number of hormones and mediators (insulin-like growth factor, ATP) necessary for the regulation of the body’s vital functions. We discovered another mechanism: along with erythrocytes, nanosized vesicles and other nanoparticles that appear on the surface of erythrocytes as a result of the pathology can also spread throughout the body. For example, the presence of such nanosized particles in human blood may indicate the development of cancer. By analyzing changes in the morphology and composition of nanoscale vesicles, one can monitor the effectiveness of radiation therapy,” says Prof. Grigory Maksimov, NUST MISIS.

Human Papillomavirus Infection - Risk Factors, Symptoms, Screening, Treatment & Prevention
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, depending on the human papillomavirus that causes it, can result in common warts or can cause cervical cancer.

The study thereby establishes the basis for the formation of a new diagnostic method for cervical cancer. Further analysis may also reveal the quantitative ratio of these nanoparticles before and after each stage of RT to determine the effectiveness of therapy.

Source-Medindia

What Women Should Know About Gynecologic Cancer
Cancers arising from the organs of the female reproductive tract (uterine, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal cancers) are termed gynecologic cancers.