Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in developed societies. Specifically, cancers of the spine and brain come with significant therapeutic challenges. Chordomas are semi-malignant tumors that develop from embryonic residuals at the skull base (clival) or coccyx (sacral). Small tumor fragments can remain in the operation cavities during surgical resection, forming new tumor sites. This requires repeated surgeries or the application of proton-beam radiation and chemotherapy, which often do not lead to complete remission of the tumors. Hence, there is a need for novel therapeutic avenues that are not limited to killing visible tumors but can be applied after surgery to decrease chordoma recurrences. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated locally via novel medical gas plasma technologies are one potential approach to address this clinical problem. Previously, broad-spectrum free radicals generated by these cold physical plasmas operated at about body temperature were shown to oxidize cancer cells to the disadvantage of their growth and induce immunogenic cancer cell death (ICD), ultimately promoting anticancer immunity. This review outlines the clinical challenges of chordoma therapy, how medical gas plasma technology could serve as an adjuvant treatment modality, and potential immune-related mechanisms of action that could extend the longevity of gas plasma therapy beyond its acute local tissue effects.
癌症是发达社会中第二大死亡原因。其中，脊柱和脑部癌症的治疗面临重大挑战。脊索瘤是一种半恶性肿瘤，起源于颅底（斜坡）或尾骨（骶骨）的胚胎残留组织。手术切除过程中，微小的肿瘤碎片可能残留在手术腔内，形成新的肿瘤病灶。这往往需要重复手术或采用质子束放疗及化疗，但这些方法通常无法实现肿瘤的完全缓解。因此，亟需探索新的治疗途径，这些方法不应仅限于消灭可见肿瘤，还应能在术后应用以减少脊索瘤复发。通过新型医用气体等离子体技术局部产生活性氧（ROS）是解决这一临床问题的潜在策略之一。此前研究表明，这些在接近体温条件下运行的冷物理等离子体产生的广谱自由基能够氧化癌细胞，抑制其生长，并诱导免疫原性癌细胞死亡（ICD），最终增强抗癌免疫。本综述概述了脊索瘤治疗的临床挑战，探讨了医用气体等离子体技术如何作为辅助治疗手段，并分析了其潜在的免疫相关作用机制——这些机制可能使气体等离子体治疗的效应超越急性局部组织作用，延长其持续效果。
Gas Plasma Technology and Immunogenic Cell Death: Implications for Chordoma Treatment
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家