Primary GBM is usually, already, 5 - 6cm diameter upon initial diagnosis and so is rapidly scheduled for surgical resection (craniotomy).  Unfortunately, relapse is common due to even just a few remaining infiltrating tumor cells that were not able to be surgically removed.   Furthermore, as found by researchers at UNC Chapel Hill (1),  "removing a brain tumor causes any cancer left behind to grow 75 percent faster than the original tumor". 

Thus, in this project we thought we would expand on the LTSL-Dox application and bring it to an earlier intervention, -- to post resection treatment while still open. As shown in the schematic, with the cavity and parenchyma surface fresh and still accessible, infra-red heating could, in principle, warm at least 1mm (and possibly more depending on the wattage and wavelength),  into the remaining parenchyma.  This could then release doxorubicin from i.v.-LTSL-Dox in the blood vessels feeding those difficult- or impossible-to-remove cells, that are likely to generate a relapse.  

Here, we are looking to team up with hyperthermia engineers and clinicians to adapt and evaluate already-available torch-like  heating systems, and preclinical translational researchers who could test initial prototypes in animal studies.

(1) Okolie, O., et al., Reactive astrocytes potentiate tumor aggressiveness in a murine glioma resection and recurrence model. Neuro-Oncology, 2016. 18(12): p. 1622-1633.