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Radiation sensitization with sodium nitrite in patients with brain metastases: a pilot randomized controlled trial

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Abstract

Systemic administration of nitrite anion seems to be a practical way to produce local burst of nitric oxide, a hypoxic cell radiosensitizer in solid tumors. This randomized controlled pilot study assessed radiologic objective response rate (ORR) in patients suffered from brain metastases treated by whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) concurrent with intravenous infusion of sodium nitrite versus WBRT alone. Twenty patients were randomized into the following groups: Ten patients treated by WBRT (30 Gy in ten fractions over 2 weeks) concomitant with 2-hour intravenous infusion of sodium nitrite (267 µg/kg/h) before each fraction of radiation (WBRT + SN arm) and ten patients received the same schedule of WBRT, alone (control arm). ORR was measured according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST version 1.1). There were four radiologic objective responses in WBRT + SN arm compared with three in the control group without significant statistical difference (P = 1.00). In contrast, age ≤ 65years (P = 0.05) and presence of extra-cranial metastases (P = 0.01) were predictor factors of ORR. In conclusion, intravenous infusion of sodium nitrite with this dose and schedule to patients with brain metastases concurrent with radiotherapy did not show any major benefit in terms of radiologic response.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Cancer, Petroleum and Environmental Pollutants Research Center (Grant No. CRC-9207).

Conflict of interest

None.

Ethical approval

The Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences ethics and scientific committees approved the study protocol according to the Helsinki declaration (ajums.REC.1392.170).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer, Petroleum and Environmental Pollutants Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Seyed Mohammad Hosseini

  2. Department of Clinical Oncology, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Shole Arvandi, Sasan Razmjoo, Hodjatollah Shahbazian, Tohid Rafie, Maedeh Barahman & Ali Bagheri

  3. Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Fakher Rahim

Authors
  1. Seyed Mohammad Hosseini
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  2. Shole Arvandi
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  3. Sasan Razmjoo
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  4. Hodjatollah Shahbazian
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  5. Fakher Rahim
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  7. Maedeh Barahman
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  8. Ali Bagheri
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Correspondence to Ali Bagheri.

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Hosseini, S.M., Arvandi, S., Razmjoo, S. et al. Radiation sensitization with sodium nitrite in patients with brain metastases: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Med Oncol 32, 46 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-015-0493-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-015-0493-2

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