WILMINGTON — A significant advancement in cancer treatment is now being provided at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
GammaTile, a targeted radiation therapy for brain tumors, can be surgically implanted inside the brain, revolutionizing the way tumors are targeted and treated. Each GammaTile, which is approximately the size of a postage stamp, delivers a precise, focused dose of radiation, limiting impact to nearby healthy brain tissue.
“To be able to offer this technology to our patients is a big milestone for New Hanover Regional Medical Center,” said Dr. Jeffrey Beecher, a neurosurgeon at Novant Health Neurosciences Institute in Wilmington. “This is yet another way we are ensuring patients have access to leading-edge technology right in their backyard. The collaboration between our neurosurgery and radiation oncology teams helps us to provide southeastern North Carolina with quality, advanced care.”
For many patients, GammaTile’s focused delivery minimizes side effects, including hair loss. The radioactivity decays over time, and its collagen tiles ultimately dissolve.
“For patients who have received prior external beam radiation, additional courses of radiation are not always an option,” said Dr. Tiffany Morgan, a radiation oncologist at the Novant Health Zimmer Cancer Institute. “To be able to offer our patients a more focused, safe and effective approach to treating their brain cancer is incredible. There is hope for patients with recurrent tumors, and we are proud to be able to help them with this technology.”
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