Medical Design Briefs - November 2022 - 36

n Summary
The use of lasers directly on humans
requires the utmost care, so this demands
rigorous review of the relevant
parameters. The development of measurement
technology for lasers plays just
as important a role as the innovations in
the lasers themselves. New coatings and
filters for the sensors, as well as the constant
updating and enhancement of the
software, make decisive contributions to
the safe application of laser technology
in medicine.
This article was written by Jürgen ReinFig.
3 - Regular calibration of sensors ensures reliable and repeatable measurements of the laser beam.
gruber, Director Sales - Ophir Spiricon
Europe, Darmstadt, Germany. For more
information, visit www.ophiropt.com.
Contact: sales.ophir.usa@mksinst.com.
Novel Radiation Therapy Delays Brain Cancer Regrowth
The therapy also protects
healthy tissue.
UCSD
San Diego, CA
UC San Diego Health is the first hospital
system in San Diego to offer a new, highly
targeted, and precisely placed radiation
therapy that delays tumor regrowth while
protecting healthy tissue in patients with
brain cancer.
" As the only academic medical center in
the region, UC San Diego Health is committed
to offering patients with brain cancer
the most innovative and effective treatments
available, " says Marc Schwartz, MD,
neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health.
" This new treatment option may extend
the lifespan for certain patients and improve
their quality of life. "
The novel, FDA-cleared approach,
called GammaTile, utilizes small radiation
seeds, or brachytherapy, which are
implanted at the tumor site during surgery
and naturally absorbed into the
body to treat malignant and recurrent
brain tumors, including gliomas, glioblastomas
and meningiomas.
UC San Diego Health began offering
the new brachytherapy treatment option
in July 2022.
Each therapeutic seed, approximately
the size of a postage stamp, contains radiation
sources embedded in a collagen
tile that together deliver a precise, targeted
dose of radiation. The radiation
36
Each therapeutic seed, approximately the size of a postage
stamp, contains radiation sources embedded in a
collagen tile that together deliver a precise, targeted
dose of radiation. The radiation immediately begins targeting
tumor cells in the area where the tumor is most
likely to recur. (Credit: GammaTile Medical Technologies)
immediately begins targeting tumor cells
in the area where the tumor is most likely
to recur.
Over time, after the radiation has been
delivered, the seed absorbs into the tissue.
In a clinical trial evaluating the treatment,
the approach resulted in nearly twice as
many tumor-free months compared to prior
treatment for patients with recurring
brain tumors located in the same area.
More than 25,000 people are diagnosed
with malignant brain cancer or spinal
cord tumors in the United States each
year, according to the American Cancer
Society. Aggressive brain tumors can be
resistant to treatment and have a high
likelihood of recurrence.
The previous standard of care for patients
with operable brain tumors is surgical
removal of the tumor followed by adjuwww.medicaldesignbriefs.com
vant
therapy, including radiation and
chemotherapy. Traditional radiation is delivered
in as many as 30 treatments, extending
over a period of several weeks.
" The number of radiation sessions
patients with brain cancer undergo can
be stressful and time consuming. This
new radiation therapy will allow us to
provide select patients with recurrent
brain tumors an alternative option, "
says Parag Sanghvi, MD, radiation oncologist
at Moores Cancer Center at UC
San Diego Health. " Ultimately, we will
provide therapeutic doses of radiation
to the tumor, while minimizing additional
radiation dosage to previously irradiated
brain tissue. "
The multidisciplinary team at Moores
Cancer Center provides comprehensive
brachytherapy options for cancers of the
breast, gynecologic, head and neck, skin, as
well as sarcomas and ocular melanomas.
According to the 2022-2023 U.S. News
& World Report " Best Hospitals " › survey,
UC San Diego Health is ranked 20th for
Cancer and 21st for Neurology and Neurosurgery
care, among the nation's top 50
programs, out of more than 4,500 hospitals
nationwide. Moores Cancer Center is the
only National Cancer Institute-designated
Comprehensive Cancer Center in San Diego
County, the highest possible rating for
a U.S. cancer center.
This article was written by Jeanna
Vazquez, UCSD. For more information,
visit https://today.ucsd.edu. Contact:
jbvazquez@ucsd.edu.
Medical Design Briefs, November 2022

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Medical Design Briefs - November 2022

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