Technological breakthrough of Russian scientists in the treatment of brain tumors

TECHNOLOGIES OF THE FUTURE – TODAY

RUSSIAN ONCOLOGISTS WERE THE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO PERFORM ISOLATED BRAIN PERFUSION ON A PATIENT DIAGNOSED WITH GLIOBLASTOMA

On August 23, 2021, on the basis of the P.A. Herzen Institute of Medical Research (branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “NMIC of Radiology” of the Ministry of Health of Russia) with the participation of a multidisciplinary team of specialists of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “NMIC of Radiology” of the Ministry of Health of Russia (Moscow-Obninsk), Kostroma Oncological Dispensary (Kostroma), the Research Institute of the Regional Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after Professor Ochapovsky (Krasnodar), The world’s first isolated brain perfusion procedure for a patient diagnosed with glioblastoma took place at the I.I. Janelidze St. Petersburg Research Institute of Emergency Medicine (St. Petersburg).

Preclinical studies of this promising method of treating patients with oncological diseases of the head and neck organs began in February 2021 at the Research Institute of Medical Primatology in Sochi and ended in August 2021. In total, scientists conducted three stages of preclinical studies, in which 18 baboon-hamadryad models took part. The experimental technique on non-human monkeys demonstrated good tolerability of the method with the absence of signs of a systemic toxic reaction, which was confirmed by the data of clinical laboratory, physiological and pathoanatomic studies.

ABOUT THE METHOD: Due to the special structure and structure of brain tissues, tumors of this localization, which include glioblastomas, are extremely difficult to treat. The essence of the innovative method lies in the fact that during medical manipulation, the brain is supplied with blood separately from the body using an artificial blood circulation device. At this stage, concentrated doses of chemotherapy are delivered to the organ, which are harmful to the tumor, but safe for the organ itself. After the toxicity decreases, the organ reconnects to the general circulatory system.

The clinical study included a 45-year-old young patient diagnosed with glioblastoma of the right parietal and frontal lobes. All standard methods of treatment for this terrible disease were exhausted, there was a prolonged growth of the tumor. After the consultation, on August 23, 2021, the patient underwent an isolated chemoperfusion of the head and neck. The operation lasted 5 hours and 30 minutes and was completed successfully, the entire planned volume of surgical interventions was performed. In a multidisciplinary team of highly professional specialists under the leadership of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.D. Kaprina, consisting of 20 people, was attended by outstanding neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, resuscitators, cardiac surgeons, perfusiologists from five scientific medical institutes at once.

Currently, the patient is under the closest supervision of specialists of the P.A. Herzen Institute of Medical Research. At the end of five days, doctors note that the severity of the patient’s condition corresponds to the timing and volume of the operation performed, and all cognitive functions of the brain are preserved in full. The patient is undergoing planned infusion, antibacterial, anticoagulant, symptomatic therapy.

The clinical study of this technique will continue, but it is already clear today that thanks to it, many patients with similar diagnoses have hope for life.

Press Service of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “NMIC of Radiology” of the Ministry of Health of Russia