The Big Picture
For patients facing brain tumors, time matters. Traditional brain surgery can require a longer recovery period before radiation therapy can begin, creating delays that may increase the risk of recurrence. At Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley Cancer Center, GammaTiles offer a different approach by allowing radiation treatment to begin immediately at the tumor site during surgery.
What’s Happening
GammaTiles are small radiation implants placed directly in the surgical area after a brain tumor is removed. The tiles contain tiny radioactive seeds—about half the size of a grain of rice—that deliver targeted radiation where it is needed most.
As Dr. Charles Rogers, radiation oncologist at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley Cancer Center, explains, many patients who undergo brain surgery need longer recovery periods, which can delay the start of radiation therapy or other treatment. GammaTiles help address that challenge by beginning treatment right away.
Medical physicist Thomas Walsh notes that gamma rays are a form of radiation that come from a radioactive source rather than a machine. Because tumor cells generally grow faster than normal tissue, they are more susceptible to radiation damage. In this case, the radiation is designed to damage the tumor cells and cause cell death.
Why It Matters
Delays in radiation treatment can have real consequences. Research shows that the longer a patient waits to irradiate the tumor site, the higher the chance of recurrence or treatment failure. By placing radiation directly where the tumor was removed, GammaTiles may help reduce that risk while giving patients a more immediate start to therapy.
The tiles remain in place after surgery and are designed not to cause ongoing problems. Walsh shared that the team has already treated a patient with metastatic breast cancer whose only tumor sites were in the brain. That patient has undergone the treatment twice and continues to do well more than a year later.
The Bottom Line
GammaTiles represent an important advancement in brain tumor treatment at Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley Cancer Center. By combining surgery with immediate, targeted radiation, the technology helps reduce delays, focuses treatment at the source, and gives patients another option in the fight against brain cancer.