Jerusalem Hospital First to Use Alpha Rays on Brain Tumors

A 77-year-old man with recurring brain cancer just became the first person to receive a groundbreaking treatment that could change how doctors fight one of medicine's toughest opponents.

Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem made history this month by using Alpha DaRT technology to treat glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor that kills most patients within 16 months. The patient had already tried surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, but the cancer came back.

The new approach works differently than anything before it. Doctors inject tiny alpha radiation sources directly into the tumor using the same precision navigation systems they already use for brain biopsies. The alpha particles deliver powerful radiation right where it's needed, sparing healthy brain tissue just millimeters away.

Professor Yigal Shoshan led the surgical team that inserted the radiation sources from two pathways simultaneously, ensuring complete tumor coverage with pinpoint accuracy. The entire procedure was minimally invasive, requiring no extensive brain surgery.

The technology emerged from years of collaboration between Hadassah's Sharett Institute of Oncology and Israeli company ALPHA Tau. Researchers spent countless hours on lab studies, animal testing, and operating room practice runs to ensure patient safety.

The Ripple Effect

Early results from a parallel US study called REGAIN show remarkable promise. All three patients treated achieved full local disease control, and two showed no tumor growth after treatment. These outcomes have caught the attention of brain cancer specialists worldwide.

The impact extends beyond glioblastoma. Hadassah researchers are already preparing to test the technology on patients with brain metastases from other cancers, especially when standard treatments fail.

For the 150 to 250 Israelis diagnosed with glioblastoma each year, this represents the first significant treatment advance in years. Currently, only 10% survive five years after diagnosis despite receiving every available therapy.

Professor Aron Popovtzer explained that patients whose disease returns after initial treatment have almost nowhere to turn. Any new option tested through rigorous clinical trials matters tremendously for these families facing impossible odds.

Alpha Tau CEO Uzi Sofer emphasized the importance of bringing Israeli innovation home. While the company operates in medical centers worldwide, treating patients in Israel carries special meaning for the team that developed the technology there.

The treatment may also trigger immune responses that help the body fight cancer cells in other brain regions, though researchers need more data to confirm this exciting possibility. For now, one patient's successful treatment marks the beginning of what doctors hope will be a new chapter in fighting brain cancer.