Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and a major health issue in the United States, both physically and economically. So, what is osteoarthritis? It’s a degenerative joint disease where the tissues in the joint deteriorate over time, causing pain and loss of function and mobility in arthritic joints. Osteoarthritis has a significant impact on quality of life and often occurs in the hands, shoulders, knees, and hips as people age.
About six months ago, Dr. Edward Soffen, a Radiation Oncologist at Astera Cancer Care, discovered a review article out of Europe that featured information about the use of low-dose radiation in the treatment of osteoarthritis, along with other conditions like tendinitis, bursitis, dupuytrens, and plantar fasciitis. He became interested in researching this topic, and learned that radiation oncologists often used low-dose radiation to treat these types of inflammatory processes. According to Dr. Soffen, almost 80% of radiation oncologists in Europe use low-dose radiation to treat inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis, but not many radiation oncologists use it in the United States, even though it is FDA-approved.
When high-dose radiation is given for cancer, the radiation is anti-proliferative, which means it stops cells from dividing and kills cells when they go through a cell division. Low-dose radiation has an anti-inflammatory effect by killing white blood cells that are causing inflammation very quickly and inhibiting other inflammatory cells from entering the joints.
“I started to investigate. I found one or two people in the United States who were doing it and I asked them what the results were. They said it was phenomenal. They had incredible response rates that were durable with very low doses of radiation,” Dr. Soffen says. “They found there were no side effects to the treatment or long-term issues. They were getting incredibly good response rates with much less pain, if not complete pain relief, and better mobility in the joint of the hip, knee, foot, or shoulder.”
After Dr. Soffen uncovered these results, he began discussing the implementation of low-dose radiation at Astera to treat inflammatory conditions. Immediately, some of his colleagues volunteered to try this treatment, so he started by trying the treatment on colleagues and saw incredible results. Astera is dedicated to staying at the forefront of medical advancements and providing cutting-edge treatments to patients.
“We tried it on almost 10 individuals and had a 100% response rate,” he says.
One patient was a woman who underwent low-dose radiation treatment on her hip. After treatment, she was able to practice yoga again after not being able to practice for several decades. Another woman who had her knee treated and was able to walk without a limp. There was also a patient who used sign language as her profession, and her hands became so arthritic that she couldn’t work anymore. Dr. Soffen treated her hands, and now she’s able to sign again. The results continue to be effective.
“I got very enthusiastic about offering it to people,” he says. “We started offering it to patients. We’ve treated about 30 people and have had tremendous response rates and no side effects from the treatment.”
Dr. Soffen has been administering the treatment to patients who have very debilitating arthritic joints for six months and hasn’t had anyone experience recurring pain.
“It’s been very gratifying. We’ve treated almost every joint so far,” he says.
While Dr. Soffen has observed a 100% response rate, the literature suggests an 80% response rate, indicating the likelihood of some individuals experiencing recurrent pain. However, upon receiving a second treatment, the response rate notably improves
When reflecting on the future of low-dose radiation in osteoarthritic treatment, Dr. Soffen says, “I'd like to see it move earlier in the course of osteoarthritic treatment. I think we will see people earlier and earlier with their arthritic complaints so that they don't suffer for five years having to get injections, consuming non-steroidal medication, or even joint replacement surgery.”
Astera is committed to providing patients with the highest standard of care and support. Dr. Soffen adds, “We take tender, loving care of our patients. The experience from door to door is very smooth and efficient. From the front desk to our therapists, everyone is treated like family. And that's the way we honor the trust of being able to care for our patients.”
Sources:
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Osteoarthritis