For the first time in Israel: innovative treatment for aggressive brain cancer patients

Amnon (pseudonym), 77, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Despite undergoing surgery, radiation, and drug therapy, the tumor returned. Recently, he became the first patient in Israel to receive an innovative alpha radiation treatment.

The procedure was performed at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center as part of a phase one clinical trial designed to test the feasibility and safety of the method. This is part of a series of innovative treatments developed at the hospital in collaboration with the company Alpha Tau, which have previously been tested on patients with advanced tumors of the head, neck, pancreas, skin, and lungs.

During the procedure, for the first time in the world, radiation sources were inserted into the brain tumor from two different paths simultaneously to achieve optimal coverage of the tumor volume while maintaining maximum precision. Professor Yigal Shoshan, Director of the Unit for Neuro-Oncology and Stereotactic Radiosurgery at Hadassah, led the operation alongside a multidisciplinary team of specialists.

"One of the great advantages of the technology is that it integrates naturally with the neurosurgical navigation systems that we use daily," explains Professor Shoshan. "The system that allows us to perform brain biopsies with millimeter precision also allows us to insert the alpha sources with similar precision into the center of the tumor. After taking a sample to confirm active disease, we used the same system to precisely insert the alpha sources, performing a local, minimally invasive treatment without the need for extensive brain surgery."

According to the professor, the procedure is the culmination of years of research, ranging from laboratory testing and pre-clinical studies on large animal models to the development of dedicated applicators and extensive practice on models in the operating room.

The Alpha DaRT technology, developed by Alpha Tau, is based on the insertion of tiny sources that emit alpha particles with high biological efficiency. Because the range of these particles is extremely short, the radiation is concentrated primarily within the tumor area, causing minimal damage to adjacent healthy brain tissue. Pre-clinical studies also suggest the possibility that the treatment may trigger an immune system response against the tumor in other areas of the brain, a field currently under active investigation.

Professor Aharon Popovtzer, Director of the Sharett Institute of Oncology, notes that glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults and almost always recurs. For patients with recurrent disease, treatment options are currently very limited, making any innovative technology tested within a controlled clinical trial of great importance. In Israel, approximately 150–250 new cases are diagnosed annually, and the five-year survival rate is only about 10%.

Parallel to the research at Hadassah, the REGAIN study is underway in the United States, with interim results from the first three patients showing full local control of the disease. While these results are preliminary, they are highly encouraging. Hadassah is already preparing to expand the clinical program to include patients with localized brain metastases.

Alpha Tau CEO Uzi Sofer stated that performing the first treatment in Israel is a significant milestone for the company: "We are an Israeli company operating in medical centers around the world, but our heart remains here. For us, it has special significance that technology developed in Israel is also reaching patients in Israel."