Doctors Report Success Using Radiation to Treat Irregular Heartbeat

Doctors Report Success Using Radiation to Treat Irregular Heartbeat

American researchers have reported some success using radiation to treat patients experiencing irregular heartbeats.

The highly¹ experimental² treatment has only been tried on a small number of patients. But doctors are preparing to carry out the first major study to test its effectiveness on large groups of people.

Scientists working on the treatment say early research suggests radiation may reprogram misfiring heart cells to control heartbeats like younger, healthier cells do.

An irregular heartbeat, known medically as ventricular tachycardia, is a major cause of sudden heart attacks worldwide. In the United States, the condition is blamed for about 300,000 deaths each year.

Treating the condition with radiation is extremely unusual. Even doctors treating cancer patients are trained to avoid targeting the heart. There is concern that the radiation could cause additional³ harm. But doctors studying the treatment say they have seen such good results they are looking forward to expanding their research.

The scientific team says the treatment would be targeted at patients with life-threatening irregular heartbeats who have tried other methods without success.

The study will attempt to see whether a one-time radiation treatment can be a safe and effective way to treat irregular heartbeat patients who have not been helped by other methods.

Dr. Stacey Rentschler is a developmental biologist who treats heart patients at the Washington University in St. Louis. She told The Associated Press the treatment "may actually rejuvenate⁴ sick tissue⁵." Rentschler called that result "pretty exciting."

One patient who agreed to receive the experimental treatment is Jeff Backus of Louisville, Kentucky. He was unable to solve his heart problems with other treatment methods.

Backus had already gone through a lengthy⁶ operation to keep his heart beating normally⁷. Doctors put a piece of equipment, called a defibrillator, inside his body to assist⁸ his heart when needed. But Backus' poor health continued. He would sometimes pass out and awaken⁹ to severe chest pain. Backus said the defibrillator had to save him by shocking¹⁰ his heart back into normal beating.

"You're always in the back of your mind thinking, ‘Is it going to happen?'" Backus told the AP. He decided¹¹ to try the experimental radiation treatment in February. So far, he is doing well, and the method, he said, "gave me some hope."

The heart's electrical system normally makes it beat at a rate anywhere from 60 to 100 times a minute. Ventricular tachycardia is a super-fast heartbeat that affects the organ's ability to pump blood. The condition can develop after damage from a past heart attack.

The main treatment method involves doctors putting small catheters inside the heart to identify and burn misfiring tissue, which can block bad signals. Some patients, however, are too sick to receive the catheter treatment. And for others, like Backus, the problem often returns.

The idea for the radiation treatment came from Dr. Phillip Cuculich, a heart specialist at Washington University. Cuculich teamed up with Dr. Clifford Robinson, who specializes¹² in exact targeting of cancer while avoiding nearby healthy tissue.

Robinson said he was never aiming for the heart during cancer treatments and instead always tried to miss the organ. But he agreed to try and warned patients about possible long-term risks. He said his first patient told him, "You're concerned about something that might happen 10 or 20 years from now? I'm worried about tomorrow." "That was really eye-opening," he added.

Cuculich and Robinson reported their first successes in 2017 and 2019. Experiments with small numbers of severely¹³ sick patients showed major improvement¹⁴. They say some patients are doing well up to six years later.

The treatment has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration¹⁵. But Cuculich and Robinson have received permission to treat about 80 people on a case-by-case basis. The team has also taught the method to many hospitals in the U.S. and other countries that have agreed to try it.

Words in This Story

rejuvenate – v. to make someone of something look or feel young and energetic again

exciting – v. making you feel very excited and enthusiastic

short-circuit – v. to cause a fault in an electrical connection

catheter – n. a long, very thin tube used to take liquids out of the body

1 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

2 experimental   

adj.实验的，用作实验的，根据实验的

参考例句：

• This trip will be only experimental.这次旅行只是试验性的。
• The experimental farm is near the waterpower station.实验农场靠近水电站。

3 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。

4 rejuvenate   

v.(使)返老还童；(使)恢复活力

参考例句：

• The mountain air will rejuvenate you.山里的空气会使你恢复活力。
• Exercise is perhaps the most effective way to rejuvenate your skin.锻炼可能是使皮肤恢复活力的最好手段。

5 tissue   

n.组织；薄纱，薄纸，手巾纸

参考例句：

• As we age we lose muscle tissue.肌肉组织会随着我们日趋衰老而萎缩。
• Athletes have hardly any fatty tissue.运动员几乎没有什么脂肪组织。

6 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

7 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

8 assist   

vt.协助，帮助，促进；vi.帮忙，参加

参考例句：

• He asked us to assist him in carrying through their plan.他要我们帮助他实施他们的计划。
• We'll assist at your wedding.我们将出席你们的婚礼。

9 awaken   

vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起

参考例句：

• Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
• Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。

10 shocking   

adj.令人气愤的；令人震惊的

参考例句：

• His attitude was shocking to her.他的态度令她感到震惊。
• Such behaviour is really shocking.这种行为真不像话。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 specializes   

v.专门从事，专攻( specialize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She specializes in obstetrics. 她是产科专家。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cinema specializes in Italian films. 这家电影院专门放映意大利电影。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

14 improvement   

n.改进，增进；改进之处，改善的地方

参考例句：

• The doctor noticed a gradual improvement in his patient.医生注意到病人在逐渐恢复健康。
• I can detect signs of improvement in your thinking.我可以察觉出你思考问题方面的进步。

15 administration   

n.经营，管理；行政，行政机关，管理部门

参考例句：

• Who is in charge of the administration of your company?你们公司的行政工作由谁负责？
• The teachers are responsible to the school administration.教师向学校行政负责。