5月12日VOA聽力：大夫或將公然致命性腦癌新型醫治辦法
Neurosurgeons have been using lasers to treat braincancer since 2009, but now they say the techniquemay also allow them to deliver chemotherapy drugsdirectly into the brain.
The key is getting past the protective blood-brainbarrier, which does its job so well it also keeps outpotentially lifesaving chemotherapy drugs.
Kathy Smith has ovarian cancer that spread to her brain, a type of brain cancer calledglioblastoma.
“There were I believe three tumors at that time and I was not at all happy about those critters.”
She was treated with laser therapy.
Doctors insert a tiny probe into the brain, directly to the cancer where it burns up the tumorfrom the inside out.
According to Washington University Neurosurgery Professor Eric Leuthardt, during theprocedure it was discovered the therapy had an unintended effect on the blood-brain barrier.
“We were able to show that this blood-brain barrier is broken down for about four weeks afteryou do this laser therapy.
So not only are you killing the tumor, you are actually opening up a window of opportunity todeliver various drugs and chemicals and therapies that could otherwise not get in there.”
In Kathy's case, a powerful, experimental chemotherapy drug called doxorubicin, which hasbeen notoriously hard to get past the barrier was delivered directly into her brain.
“What is interesting is the blood-brain barrier is a two-way street.
By breaking it down you can get things into the brain, but also by breaking it down, now thingscan go from your brain out into your circulation, to your peripheral system, which includesyour immune system.”
And the immune system helps fight cancer.
The procedure is dangerous, a compromised blood-brain barrier puts the brain at risk, but sofar it has worked well for Smith.
Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma tumors usually survive just 15 months after diagnosis.
But Smith has been fighting her cancer since 2009.
“Kind of makes you smile when they say you are a good candidate for something new.
So I got worked into that study and it did work out beautifully.”
The team of neurosurgeons, from Washington University in St.Louis are hoping to publish amore formal report on their work later this year.
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