After battling breast cancer for 12 years, Cynthia received devasting news; the cancer had spread to her brain. That’s when Cynthia and her family turned to a clinical trial investigating the use of focused ultrasound.
Doctors at Swedish Neuroscience Institute at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle are conducting the pilot trial, funded by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation. Using MR-guided focused ultrasound to heat and destroy the brain tumors non-invasively, this method avoids many of the potential risks and side effects that are associated with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Though still considered early-stage, this study helps build on previous research milestones. In March 2014, the first brain tumor was ablated through the intact skull in Switzerland. Later that year, the trial at Swedish marked the first patient to undergo focused ultrasound for a metastatic brain tumor.
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Contact a Participating Site
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA
Contact: 617.525.8596; dchamberlain1@partners.org
Swedish Medical Center
Seattle, WA
Contact: 206.320.3070; focusedultrasound@swedish.org