Following tumor removal in patients with recurrent glioblastoma, an absorbable collagen tile can deliver a controlled and therapeutic dose of radiation that targets remaining tumor cells and spares healthy tissue, new research suggests.
The results showed inserting a collagen matrix containing radioactive seeds into the brain postsurgery did not impede wound healing. It also showed a favorable safety profile, researchers note.
Benefits for patients undergoing this GammaTile (GT) intervention include not having to wait weeks to receive radiation treatment, which in turn improves their quality of life, said study investigator Clark C. Chen, MD, PhD, chair, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis.
"These initial results are highly promising and offer hope for patients afflicted with an otherwise devastating disease," Chen told Medscape Medical News.
If replicated in larger trials, GT therapy "could define a new standard of care, and there would really be no reason why patients shouldn't get this therapy," he added.
This is the first clinical series describing GT use since its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for recurrent brain cancer.
The findings were presented at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) 2022 Annual Meeting, and were published recentlyin
