For the first time anywhere, physicians at Hadassah Ein Kerem have used an innovative procedure to treat a 77-year-old patient with recurrent glioblastoma.
One of the most aggressive and malignant brain tumors, life expectancy with the disease is approximately 15-16 months, with only about 10% of patients surviving five years from diagnosis.
The Hadassah team introduced alpha radiation sources into a glioblastoma tumor through two pathways simultaneously, with the aim of achieving more precise coverage of the cancerous area. The procedure was performed in collaboration with Alpha Tau as part of a Phase I clinical trial, evaluating the feasibility and safety of the approach.
“One of the major advantages of this technology is that it integrates naturally with the neurosurgical navigation systems we use every day,” explains Prof. Yigal Shoshan, Director of the Neuro-Oncology and Stereotactic Radiosurgery Unit at Hadassah, who led the procedure together with a multidisciplinary team from the Department of Neurosurgery, the Sharett Institute of Oncology, the Institute of Radiotherapy, and the Neuropathology Unit.
“The system that enables us to perform brain biopsies with millimeter-level precision also allows us to insert the alpha radiation sources with a similar degree of accuracy into the center of the tumor,” he continues. “After taking a sample from the tumor to confirm the presence of active disease, we used the same system to precisely insert the alpha sources into the tumor, thereby delivering a local, precise, minimally invasive treatment without the need for extensive brain surgery.
Prof. Aaron Popovtzer, Director of the Sharett Institute of Oncology, adds: “Patients with recurrent disease currently have very limited treatment options. Therefore, any innovative technology that can be evaluated within the framework of a controlled clinical trial is of great importance.”
Truly a groundbreaking step in the development of new treatment approaches for patients facing one of the most challenging forms of brain cancer.