A tile of radiation, placed where the tumor was — and it works

Patients with newly diagnosed operable brain metastases — cancers that have spread to the brain — lived longer with less recurrence when surgeons lined the surgical site with GammaTile, small collagen tiles carrying a precise radiation dose, instead of standard follow-up radiation. The randomized multicenter ROADS trial, published as a Rapid Communication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology — a designation reserved for exceptional findings — found the benefit came with no added side-effect risk, and the authors say GammaTile should be considered a new standard of care.