This Magnetic Helmet Shrunk A Deadly Tumor In An Incredible Breakthrough
Image by Baskin et al via Frontiers in Oncology (CC BY 4.0)
As part of an incredible neurological breakthrough, researchers have constructed a helmet that shrunk a deadly tumor by a third.
While the 53-year-old patient later passed away due to an unrelated injury, an autopsy of his brain showed that the new treatment had removed 31% of the tumor. This trial marks the first non-invasive therapy for a life-threatening form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma.
According to Engadget, the patient wore the device for five weeks at a clinic, then later at home. With three rotating magnets connected to a microprocessor-based electronic controller, the helmet generated a magnetic field, which was administered to the patient for two to six hours a day. This caused the patient’s brain tumor to shrink by nearly a third over the test period.
The researchers behind the device say that it could one day help treat such brain cancers without invasive radiation or chemotherapy. The device has also received FDA approval for compassionate use treatment in the meantime.
“Our results… open a new world of non-invasive and non-toxic therapy… with many exciting possibilities for the future,” said David S Baskin, director of the Kenneth R Peak Center for Brain and Pituitary Tumor Treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Neurological Institute.
For more details on the trial, head over to the Frontiers In Oncology journal.
Image by Baskin et al via Frontiers in Oncology (CC BY 4.0)
[via Engadget, cover image by Baskin et al via Frontiers in Oncology (CC BY 4.0)]
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