NHS Trial Aims to Target Brain Tumours Before Surgery
The NHS have recently been trialling an innovative new procedure, with the aim of treating brain tumours before surgery. This pioneering trial seeks to dramatically reduce the invasive treatment for some of the most aggressive brain tumours, and has been the result of a collaboration between the UK and Germany.
How the Trial Works
The trial works by utilising a combination of two treatments given successively; the first being a radioactive drug to target and reduce the size of the tumour and the second being the surgery to remove the remaining tumour.
The combination of the two treatments has proven effective in reducing tumour size, reducing complications during the procedure and resulting in a shorter recovery time.
The Benefits of the Trial
There are many benefits for participants in the trial, some of which include:
- Less invasive treatment: The pre-treatment reduces the need for extensive surgical removal of the tumour.
- Reduced risk of complications: The pre-treatment helps to reduce the risk of complications during the surgery, allowing for a quicker recovery.
- Improved quality of life: With the reduced risk of complications and a shorter recovery time, patients will experience an improved quality of life.
The Future of the Treatment
The trial is still in its early stages and is being conducted in selected hospitals in the UK and Germany. If successful, this new treatment could become the standard of care for treating aggressive brain tumours, reducing the risk of complications, reducing recovery time and improving quality of life for patients.
This trial is just one of many in recent years that aims to find new treatments for brain tumours. With more funding and research, we can make further progress in treating this devastating disease. A pioneering new trial from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is set to target brain tumours with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy before surgery in a bid to reduce the chances of them returning.
The new trial will assess the effectiveness of a new, more personalised approach to treating brain tumours in adults. By combining pre-operative chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the risk of tumour cells remaining in the brain after surgery is reduced.
The trial will compare a three-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the previous standard treatment of surgery followed by radiotherapy. The trial is open to adults over 18 years of age who meet the study requirements and have been diagnosed with a non-malignant brain tumour.
The aim of the trial is to help improve long-term survival outcomes for brain tumour patients. The treatment could potentially reduce the risk of invasive surgery and ease the strain on the NHS through the more efficient use of the available resources.
The trial is the result of collaboration between the NHS, Cancer Research UK and the Institute of Cancer Research. So far, 40 patients have been recruited from 13 hospitals across the UK – the trial is currently running in London, Manchester, Leicester and many other cities across the country.
The project is being led by consultant neurosurgeon Mr Subodh Pradhan, who is also the lead investigator. He commented: “The approach of pre-emptively destroying the tumour before surgery can give us more confidence that there is less chance of its return.”
The trial is expected to last until 2025 and is a welcome development in the fight against brain tumours. It has the potential to substantially improve the outcomes of future treatments and help to ease the burden on the NHS.