There’s a new cancer treatment called ALPHA DaRT (Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Treatment) that works so well it delivered total tumor destruction in over 78% of cases and shrunk tumors 100% of the time. The best part is that DaRT cancer treatment attacks tumors but spares the surrounding healthy tissue! Israeli firm Alpha Tau Medical developed the treatment.
ALPHA DaRT is the first therapy to use alpha radiation for solid tumor treatment successfully. It is remarkable because it works in such a way that the body can tolerate it. Most cancer treatments are not tolerable because our bodies are not meant to be exposed to them. On the other hand, alpha particles have a high capacity to destroy cancer cells without damaging healthy cells or causing ill side effects. A study of the research was published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology.
ALPHA DaRT technology is a powerful cancer-killing agent with minimum side effects because it uses the radioactive decay of an isotope – called radium-224 – to propel the spread of alpha particles across entire tumors. This method limits collateral damage during the treatment procedure. Studies have shown that it has a very high level of safety for patients.
The treatment also contributed to a more positive overall patient treatment experience for the following reasons:
- The treatment consists of only a single minimally invasive outpatient procedure. It involves the insertion of the Alpha DaRT device, which doesn’t require any special shielding or an operating room.
- The duration of the treatment is only two weeks. During that time, the patient can be at home and doing whatever it is they’d typically be doing.
- In a matter of days, the tumor begins to shrink.
ALPHA DaRT technology is the first to provide a highly localized and effective treatment of solid tumors when surgical removal is not possible. Two professors invented it at Tel Aviv University: immunology Prof. Yona Keisari and physics Prof. Itzhak Kelson. The company Alpha Tau was founded by Uzi Sofer, CEO, in 2016 to make this invention available to millions of patients worldwide.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America. Meanwhile, around the world, rates have been steadily increasing. Factors such as longer life spans, harmful environmental influences (such as electromagnetic radiation and pollution), and unhealthy lifestyle choices that promote carcinogenesis (such as high-fat diets and smoking) have all led to this surge of cancer.
There are several leading cancer centers around the world trialing ALPHA DaRT for different tumor types. Locations include Canada, Russia, Japan, Italy, Israel, and the United States. While the technology is still in the clinical trial phase, if all goes well, it could someday be used to help people efficiently treat tumors in a more manageable way than is conducted today.
