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Advances in Radiotherapy of Gastrointestinal Cancers
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Advances in Radiotherapy of Gastrointestinal Cancers

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Methods and Technologies Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 2320

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Sunil Krishnan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Interests: radiation oncology; gastrointestinal cancer; nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on contemporary advances in radiotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers, addressing the evolving landscape of precision radiation therapy techniques, treatment optimization strategies, and personalized care approaches. Recent advances in the molecular biology of gastrointestinal cancers and technological innovations in radiation delivery, image guidance, and treatment planning have significantly enhanced therapeutic outcomes while minimizing treatment-related toxicities.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue dedicated to advancing the field of radiotherapy in gastrointestinal cancer treatment.

This Special Issue will present cutting-edge research encompassing novel imaging methods, radiotherapy techniques (intensity-modulated, stereotactic, proton, and MR-guided), adaptive treatment protocols, multidisciplinary approaches, and quality-of-life considerations in gastrointestinal cancer management.

Research areas may include advanced external beam radiotherapy techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy as well as proton therapy and MR-guided therapy, innovative and adaptive radiotherapy protocols and implementation challenges, the integration of molecular imaging and radiomics into diagnostics and treatment, combination therapy strategies incorporating immunotherapy, the management and prevention of radiation toxicities, quality-of-life assessments and patient-reported outcome measures, cost-effectiveness analyses of modern radiotherapy techniques, artificial intelligence applications in treatment planning and delivery, and multidisciplinary care coordination in gastrointestinal cancer management.

We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, and comprehensive analyses that can help to advance our understanding of optimal radiotherapy in gastrointestinal malignancies.

Prof. Dr. Sunil Krishnan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gastrointestinal cancer
  • radiotherapy
  • IMRT
  • SBRT
  • MR-guided
  • proton therapy
  • adaptive radiotherapy
  • treatment planning
  • radiomics
  • artificial intelligence
  • combination therapy
  • immunotherapy
  • toxicity management
  • quality of life
  • personalized medicine

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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18 pages, 573 KB  
Systematic Review
Increasing the Response of Mismatch Repair Proficient Rectal Cancer to Immunotherapy with Particle Radiation and DNA Damage Response Inhibitors—Preclinical Evidence
by Cristian J. Salazar-Vilches, Daniel K. Ebner, Jake A. Kloeber, Sonja Dragojevic, Jasvinder Singh, Michael Haddock, Yasamin Sharifzadeh, Alexander D. Sherry, Krishan R. Jethwa, Christopher L. Hallemeier, Kenneth W. Merrell, Robert W. Mutter, Zhenkun Lou and Cameron M. Callaghan
Cancers 2026, 18(4), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18040682 - 19 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1098
Abstract
Background/Objectives: We performed a systematic review of preclinical literature on the use of high-LET particle therapy, DDRi, and/or immunotherapy specifically in pMMR colorectal cancer. Methods: A systematic review of the literature published between 2014 and 2025 was conducted across major databases. Studies were [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: We performed a systematic review of preclinical literature on the use of high-LET particle therapy, DDRi, and/or immunotherapy specifically in pMMR colorectal cancer. Methods: A systematic review of the literature published between 2014 and 2025 was conducted across major databases. Studies were included if they examined particle radiotherapy (e.g., proton, alpha, and carbon) or X-ray radiation either alone or in combination with DDRi and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in pMMR colorectal cancer models. Results: In total, 131 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 70 preclinical studies. These studies consistently demonstrate that high-LET radiation amplifies immunogenic cell death, increases cGAS-STING pathway activation, and enhances tumor antigen presentation, thereby fostering greater immune infiltration and systemic antitumor responses. Concurrent irradiation with DDRi enhances persistent DNA damage and cytosolic DNA accumulation. In murine models, high-LET therapies show excellent local control, with manageable toxicity profiles. Combination regimens with ICIs exhibit improved local control and elicit systemic antitumor immune responses. Conclusions: High-LET particle radiation and/or the use of concurrent DDRi with ICI have significant preclinical evidence of immunostimulatory effects in pMMR rectal adenocarcinoma and increased response rates to immunotherapy. The clinical evidence will be reviewed in the companion manuscript. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Radiotherapy of Gastrointestinal Cancers)
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24 pages, 596 KB  
Systematic Review
Clinical Evidence on Particle Radiation, DNA Damage Response Inhibitors, and Immunotherapy for Mismatch Repair-Proficient Rectal Cancer
by Cristian J. Salazar-Vilches, Daniel K. Ebner, Jake A. Kloeber, Sonja Dragojevic, Jasvinder Singh, Michael Haddock, Yasamin Sharifzadeh, Alexander D. Sherry, Krishan R. Jethwa, Christopher L. Hallemeier, Kenneth Merrell, Robert W. Mutter, Zhenkun Lou and Cameron M. Callaghan
Cancers 2026, 18(4), 652; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18040652 - 17 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 859
Abstract
Background/Objectives: We performed a systematic review of the current clinical and preclinical literature on the use of particle therapy, DDRi, and/or immunotherapy, specifically for pMMR colorectal cancer. Methods: A systematic review of the literature published between 2014 and 2025 was conducted across major [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: We performed a systematic review of the current clinical and preclinical literature on the use of particle therapy, DDRi, and/or immunotherapy, specifically for pMMR colorectal cancer. Methods: A systematic review of the literature published between 2014 and 2025 was conducted across major databases. Studies were included if they examined particle radiotherapy (e.g., proton, alpha, carbon) either alone or in combination with DDRi and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), or X-ray radiotherapy (XRT) in combination with DDRi/ICI. Results: In total, 133 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 62 clinical studies. Clinically, particle therapies show excellent local control and normal tissue sparing, with manageable toxicity profiles. Trials with any form of radiation and DDRi are few, potentially owing to toxicity concerns. ICI combinations showed promising efficacy with XRT, with no randomized trials comparing them to particle radiation. Conclusions: Particle radiation and/or DDRi have significant preclinical evidence of immunostimulatory effects in pMMR rectal adenocarcinoma and increase response rates to immunotherapy (presented in the companion manuscript). Despite strong preclinical evidence and rationale, clinical trials including all three modalities are scarce. Existing evidence suggests a potential benefit based on extrapolation from photon-based studies and supports prospective evaluation with careful attention to treatment-related toxicity, which remains a concern. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Radiotherapy of Gastrointestinal Cancers)
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