Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Journal

Oncology Reviews

DOI

10.3389/or.2025.1655365

PMID

40979743

PMCID

PMC12447172

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

9-5-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Radiation therapy (RT) and locoregional ablation are cornerstones of modern oncology, yet their therapeutic potential is frequently limited by the challenge of sparing healthy organs-at-risk (OARs) from treatment-related complications. Temporary organ displacement (TOD) techniques directly address this issue by creating a physical separation using 'spacers' during treatment, thereby minimizing collateral damage while enhancing therapeutic precision. The clinical benefits, including improved tumor control, reduced morbidity, and enhanced survival, are documented across malignancies of the head and neck, thorax, abdomen, and pelvis. To create a unified framework for this evolving field, this comprehensive review provides a systematic classification of TOD techniques based on invasiveness, administration, device technology and the accompanying treatment mo`dality. Furthermore, we synthesize key historical and recent innovations, from non-invasive maneuvers to advanced surgical spacers, to contextualize current practices. Finally, we address barriers to standardization and highlight emerging concepts such as meta-materials, computational modeling, and digital twins, which provide promising avenues for enhancing personalized cancer care and patient outcomes.

Keywords

organ sparing, radiation therapy, temporary organ displacement, organs-at-risk, dose toxicity, thermal ablation, non-target organ injury, spacers

Published Open-Access

yes

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