A small radiation-emitting tile implanted where a brain tumor had been achieves better outcomes than traditional radiology treatments, researchers reported at ASCO.
Cancer patients with brain metastases who received GT Medical Technology’s cesium-131 GammaTile during surgery to remove a tumor survived longer without recurrence, compared to patients who received standard care, the researchers said.
Ordinarily, surgery for brain tumors is followed by up to six weeks of recovery before radiation treatments begin. In the interim, cancer cells left behind in the brain can grow and replicate.
The thin collagen GammaTile infused with radiation is placed in the cavity left by the surgically removed tumor, where it immediately begins to kill any residual tumor cells, the researchers said. The radiation gradually fades, and the tile is absorbed by the body.
In a late-stage trial, 230 patients with operable brain metastases received either GammaTile implantation or standard radiotherapy following surgery.
One year later, the incidence of tumor regrowth in the surgical area was 1% with GammaTile versus 11.9% with standard therapy.
Patients who received GammaTile had a greater than 50% reduction in risk of either tumor recurrence or death compared to standard care.
Estimated overall survival at 24 months was 61.7% with GammaTile compared with 35.7% for standard radiation.
Quality-of-life and side effect rates were similar in the two groups, the researchers said.
"These patients have faced important challenges with existing treatment approaches," said GT Medical Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Garcia in a statement.
Data from this study, "delivers the high level of evidence to support GammaTile as a new up-front treatment option," he said.
