Low-Dose Radiotherapy for Osteoarthritis With Austin Dove

Dr. Simul Parikh hosts Dr. Austin Dove for a fireside chat about his new review article in the Red Journal on low-dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis (OA). 

In this episode, Austin reviews the history of low-dose radiotherapy for OA, which includes multiple prospective studies evaluating efficacy and safety of the technique. These studies show that one example, 0.5 Gy x 6 fractions (3 Gy total) delivered every other day is associated with an excellent and durable symptomatic response in a high number of patients with essentially no acute effects. 

Considering 32 million people suffer from osteoarthritis in the US, these data have huge implications for the field. This is similar to the number of patients with prostate cancer treated in the US every year with radiation.

Simul and Austin then discuss the German’s love for placebo pills and call for thoughtful and scientific evaluation of low-dose radiotherapy for OA in the US. 

Later, Austin hypothesizes that low-dose radiotherapy may be used for other etiologies of arthralgia, such as those experienced by patients with breast cancer undergoing hormone therapy. Regardless, Simul and Austin agree that multi-disciplinary collaboration will be required for optimal implementation.

At the end of the episode, Simul holds Austin’s feet to the fire in a mock oral exam and an Accelerators Lightning Round. Memphis BBQ or Nashville Hot Chicken? What is Austin’s backup specialty? And, importantly, is Taylor Swift’s music country?

Here are some other things that came up:

• Pattern of care study from Germany; 15,000 are treated each year with radiation for OA!
• DEGRO - a German radiotherapy organization

Episode art generously donated by Dr. Danielle Cunningham