Study Suggests High-Dose Radiotherapy Could Worsen Cancer Spread

A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that high-dose radiotherapy, intended to fight cancer, might unintentionally encourage its spread (metastasis), Anadolu Agency reported.

Researchers, led by biochemist Yang Kaiting at the University of Chicago, observed that some untreated cancer sites actually grew after patients received high-dose radiation treatment.

The study analyzed biopsy samples from 22 cancer patients and found an increase in the size of metastatic lesions after treatment, implying that in some cases, radiotherapy could promote tumor progression. Genetic analysis revealed a rise in a protein called amphiregulin, which influences cell survival and growth. This effect was also confirmed in mouse models of lung and breast cancer, where radiation increased amphiregulin production. While radiation reduced the formation of new metastases, it stimulated the growth of existing ones, indicating complex and potentially counterproductive effects of high-dose radiation on cancer.