- Brain cancer can be difficult to treat because the blood-brain barrier blocks chemotherapy drugs from entering.
- Researchers now say an ultrasound device shows promise in temporarily opening that barrier to allow in chemotherapy drugs.
- Experts say this technology could be a game-changer in treating brain cancer.
New research has opened a possible doorway for treating glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer.
Brain tumors are especially difficult to treat. Part of the reason is that most chemotherapy drugs are blocked by the
To get around the problem, researchers from Northwestern Medicine used an ultrasound device implanted in the brain to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier, allowing chemotherapy drugs to be delivered to the brain via intravenous injection.
“Finding that a new technology can safely and effectively open the blood-brain barrier to deliver chemotherapy is a potentially game-changing step forward in brain cancer research and treatment,” Dr. Jason Salsamendi, the lead interventional radiologist at the City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in California, told Medical News Today.
The 4-minute procedure, which takes place while patients are awake, was repeated every few weeks over a 4-month period, for a total of six sessions.
The
“This is potentially a huge advance for glioblastoma patients,” said Dr. Adam Sonabend, a study lead investigator and a neurosurgeon and associate professor of neurological surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Illinois. “While we have focused on brain cancer… this opens the door to investigate novel drug-based treatments for millions of patients who suffer from various brain…
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