**Sponsored by GT Medical Technologies: This content is not an endorsement from the ABTA.**
Enjoying the idyllic Florida lifestyle of golfing and swimming, Joe thrived in his dream job as an architect for Disney World®. However, his world turned upside down when a recurrent brain tumor diagnosis hit just four months after his initial brain surgery and six weeks of external radiation treatment.
“It blew my mind,” Joe recalled, “I just couldn’t imagine what was going on.”
Tammy, his wife, echoed his disbelief, saying “We sat there, mouths open, unable to speak. How could this be happening to us?”
Joe’s diagnosis of glioblastoma (GBM), one of the most aggressive brain tumors, was devastating. Despite undergoing standard treatments first time around – surgery, chemotherapy, and external beam radiation – the tumor quickly grew back in the same location.
Hope emerged when experts at Orlando Health, Dr. Hermes G. Garcia, MD, and Dr. Catherine Mercado, MD, recommended a new approach: a craniotomy with the implantation of GammaTile® brain brachytherapy. They decided to seek a second opinion from another large cancer center out of state. They were put at ease when their recommendation was the same – surgery with GammaTile.
“For me, GammaTile has been amazing, and kept my tumor from growing back since August 2022,” Joe happily stated. “I've just been thrilled with the outcome; my scans continue to be good with no signs of the tumor growing back.”
GammaTile is the only FDA-cleared bioresorbable collagen implant that delivers brain radiation immediately at the time of surgery to help eradicate residual tumor cells. In Joe’s words, “GammaTile lays radiation seeds right against where the tumor was removed. It helps eradicate any leftover cancer cells.” Tammy was equally excited, declaring, “This is it! This is the solution!”
Unlike traditional external beam radiation, GammaTile is implanted during surgery, eliminating the need for multiple trips for treatment. This reduces the burden on patients and caregivers but also ensures immediate radiation is delivered while helping protect healthy brain tissue.
A year and six months later, Joe and Tammy are enjoying life traveling around the country, free of a brain tumor.
Watch Joe’s inspirational story and learn more about GammaTile:
About GT Medical Technologies, Inc.
Driven to raise the standard of care and improve the lives of patients with brain tumors, a team of brain tumor specialists formed GT MedicalTechnologies. GammaTile isa Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) for patients undergoing brain tumor removal surgery.
GammaTile is FDA cleared as a treatment for patients with newly diagnosed malignant intracranial neoplasms and patients with recurrent intracranial neoplasms. The potential for, and symptoms of, adverse events related to radiation exposure vary depending on the radiosensitivity of the exposed tissue, the amount of radiation delivered, and the placement of GammaTile(s). GammaTile Therapy should not be used for patients with known history of hypersensitivity to bovine-derived materials.
Since its full market release in the United States in March 2020, GammaTile has been offered in more than 100 hospitals, with more centers being added each month. For more information, visit www.gtmedtech.com and follow @GammaTile on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Is GammaTile® right for you? Learn more.
Jessie Schlacks
Jessie is Managing Editor of the bi-monthly e-newsletter MindMatters. Submit story ideas or questions to jschlacks@abta.org.
