GammaTile® (GT) as a brachytherapy platform for rapidly growing brain metastasis

BACKGROUND: A subset of brain metastasis (BM) shows rapid recurrence post-initial resection or aggressive tumor growth between interval scans. Here we provide a pilot experience in the treatment of these BM with GammaTile® (GT), a collagen tile-embedded Cesium 131 ((131)Cs) brachytherapy platform. METHODS: We identified ten consecutive patients (2019–2023) with BM that showed either (1) symptomatic recurrence while awaiting post-resection radiosurgery or (2) enlarged by >25% of tumor volume on serial imaging and underwent surgical resection followed by GT placement. Procedural complication, 30-day readmission, local control, and overall survival were assessed. RESULTS: For this cohort of ten BM patients, 3 patients suffered tumor progression while awaiting radiosurgery and 7 showed >25% tumor growth prior to surgery and GT placement. There were no procedural complications or 30-day mortality. All patients were discharged home, with a median hospital stay of 2 days (range: 1–9 days). 4/10 patients experienced symptomatic improvement while the remaining patients showed stable neurologic conditions. With a median follow-up of 186 days (6.2 months, range: 69–452 days), no local recurrence was detected. The median overall survival (mOS) for the newly diagnosed BM was 265 days from the time of GT placement. No patients suffered from adverse radiation effects. CONCLUSION: Our pilot experience suggests that GT offers favorable local control and safety profile in patients suffering from brain metastases that exhibit aggressive growth patterns and support the future investigation of this treatment paradigm.