UW Health said Tuesday it is one of the first health systems in Wisconsin to offer a new technology that delivers targeted radiation therapy to brain tumor cavities after the tumor has been removed.
UW surgeons will use GammaTile, a new technology developed by GT Medical Technologies, for certain types of brain tumors. It consists of a small implant with absorbable collagen tiles that contain radioactive cesium-131 seeds.
After a brain tumor is surgically removed, the tiles are placed along the surgical cavity to treat microscopic tumor cells that could remain and eventually grow.
Dr. Brett Morris, a radiation oncologist for UW Health’s Carbone Cancer Center, said in a press release that the new treatment plan has several advantages.
He said traditional radiation therapy directs radiation toward the tumor site from outside the body. While surgeons can precisely shape the radiation dose, some surrounding healthy tissue could still receive radiation.
In contrast, GammaTile is capable of delivering radiation directly to the surgical cavity, allowing surgeons to direct the dose to the area at greatest risk for tumor recurrence, said Morris, who is also an assistant professor of radiation medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
“Our goal is to treat microscopic tumor cells that might remain after surgery while limiting radiation exposure to healthy brain tissue,” Morris said. “That precision is especially important in the brain, where we want to preserve neurologic function and quality of life.”
