Clinical trial has promising results to fight brain cancer
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's potential new hope for people with a deadly kind of brain cancer.
Until now treatments for Glioblastoma have been limited.
But now, scientists at Northwestern Medicine say they've developed a new technique that can deliver drugs directly to tumors in the brain.
Rod Boyer's life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.
"I thought I wouldn't be around for much longer," Boyer said.
In January, the former steelworker enrolled in a clinical trial where scientists are studying new technology to deliver treatment directly into the brain.
Dr. Adam Sonabend says, "This is very important as most drugs don't really penetrate the brain given this structure called the blood-brain barrier."
In a four-minute procedure, doctors used a new ultrasound device implanted under the patient's scalp, all while he was awake.
The team says the novel device uses microbubbles to open the blood-brain barrier allowing two powerful chemotherapy drugs, injected intravenously, to reach critical areas of the brain.
"We were able to increase the drug levels in the brain anywhere between 3.7 to 5.9 times," Sonabend said.
And they found the barrier closes again within an hour after the procedure.
After six cycles of treatment, doctors say Boyer's MRI shows no evidence of tumor growth. His treatment is ongoing.
"Be nice to live ten more years or so," Boyer said.
Boyer says he's grateful to have more time with his family and other loved ones.
Scientists at Northwestern say the next step is to determine whether their treatment actually helps people live longer.
They found it was well tolerated by study participants.