Gamma Knife treatment of glioblastoma shows promising results

Researchers at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, reported promising results of the preliminary study focuses on cutting-edge research with aggressive glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer (GBM), a novel called MRI combined with high doses of radiation in the form of spectroscopy Gamma Knife radiosurgery. Survival rate of patients nearly four months (3.7 months) compared to patients treated with conventional radiotherapy alone standard increased.

"Raising four months is very important because the median survival of patients with conventional radiotherapy alone is treated, one year," said Douglas B. Einstein, MD, Ph.D., lead author of the study and vice-president and director of clinical radiation oncology at University Hospital Case Medical Center and assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

The results of this study were presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in Chicago on 2 Presented in November 2009.

GBM is the most common and aggressive brain tumors, and is back for culture in the months after surgery known. This type of cancer that the late Senator Edward Kennedy fought.

Thirty-five patients were in this phase II, including five-year study. Patients were unable to identify MR spectroscopic imaging for non-invasive areas of GBM tumors, which is more aggressive than other sectors. These regions were then aligned with high doses of radiation from a Gamma Knife. Treatment was followed by conventional radiotherapy standard.

The Gamma Knife is an instrument by which doctors radiosurgery, a noninvasive procedure that neurosurgery high doses of radiation used to target treatment and patient brain tissue, while tissue surrounding the race intact. The state of technology allows doctors to operate on brain lesions often considered unnecessary.

MR spectroscopy has a special MRI where the peaks of metabolites can be identified and quantified in the MR image. These boards are choline, which is seen in the areas of MRI images of cells that have a high turnover rate, separated as a brain tumor active and NAA found in nerve tissue and nerve cells from normal cells of glioma brain tumor.

Given the positive results of this study, a multicenter, randomized phase III trial is designed, "said Dr. Einstein.