The following is for educational purposes only. For FDA-cleared INTRABEAM® Indications for Use, see indications 510k.
IORT for Brain Tumors
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent primary malignant brain tumor in adults. With the high grade IV gliomas and its infiltrative nature they have a median overall survival of 15 months only.1 Also brain metastases are a common manifestation of systemic cancer with an average survival time for patients of 3-12 months, primarily determined by the status of systemic (non-CNS) disease.2 The gold standard treatment for brain tumors is based on a multidisciplinary approach applying surgery followed by radiotherapy with or without concurrent and adjuvant chemotherapy.3,4
Intraoperative radiation therapy for brain tumors is a pragmatic approach to sterilize the margins from persistent tumor cells, abrogate post-injury proliferative stimuli and to bridge the therapeutic gap between surgery and radiochemotherapy.5,6,7
Treatment Steps
Step 1 The tumor is located with diagnostic imaging.
Step 2 The head of the patient is positioned in a surgical head frame, a skin flap is created and the bone is removed.
Step 3 The tumor is surgically removed.
Step 4 The correct type and size (Ø) of the applicator is selected and the applicator is positioned in the tumor bed.
Step 5 The tumor bed is locally irradiated for about 30 minutes.
Step 6 The applicator is removed, bone and skin structures are reinstated and the incision is closed.
