Tampere hospital begins Finland’s first targeted rectal cancer treatment

Tampere University Hospital has become the first hospital in Finland to use a new radiation treatment for rectal cancer, Yle reports. The treatment delivers a high radiation dose through the rectum directly next to the tumour.

The aim is to destroy the tumour while allowing more patients to avoid major surgery and a possible permanent stoma.

The method targets the tumour with a high dose while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. Treatment consists of three sessions.

So far, two patients have received the treatment at Tampere University Hospital, according to Professor Toni Seppälä of the hospital and Tampere University. The method was developed in the Netherlands and is already used in some European countries.

About 1,500 new cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed in Finland each year. Treatment often involves surgery to remove part or all of the rectum.

Seppälä said surgery is an effective cancer treatment but can lead to a permanent stoma and long-term problems with bowel function, urination and sexual function. The removal of the rectum can affect quality of life even when no complications occur, he said.

The new treatment is not suitable for every patient. A multidisciplinary team, including cancer surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists and radiologists, assesses each patient’s suitability.

Older and frail patients are one important group that may benefit, as major rectal cancer surgery can be particularly demanding or carry too great a risk for them. Seppälä estimates that more than 100 patients in Finland could be suitable for the local treatment each year.

The treatment is part of the NORPPA research programme, coordinated by Tampere University Hospital and Tampere University, which is developing new organ-preserving treatments for rectal cancer. The research network includes hospitals from across Finland and Estonia.