Cleveland Clinic Weston Offering STaRT Therapy for Glioblastoma

Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Hospital is now offering Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) for glioblastoma, the most common type of malignant of brain tumor in adults, and the most difficult to treat.

STaRT is for patients whose tumors continue to recur after they have had surgery, radiation and chemotherapy as first line treatment options for glioblastoma. It includes surgery, during which the neurosurgeon places bioresorbable, flexible collagen tiles in the brain immediately after the tumor is resected. The tiles deliver immediate, dose-intense radiation, which targets the tumor for up to two weeks following the surgery. The radiation dose is higher and more targeted than external beam radiation therapy which is the current standard of treatment.

“Glioblastomas have a high rate of recurrence and this advanced treatment provides an additional option for patients facing a challenging health diagnosis,” said Rodolfo J. Blandon, MD, MBA. “We are hopeful that STaRT Therapy will improve survival and quality of life and we are pleased to offer it patients who meet certain criteria.”

Patients most likely to benefit are those with recurrent meningiomas contained within the brain cavity who have already undergone multiple rounds of radiosurgery, or those with gliomas who have exhausted all other treatment options.