A clinical trial conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine showed that using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier before chemotherapy improved survival among patients with glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer.
The study involved 34 patients who received MRI-guided focused ultrasound along with the chemotherapy drug Temozolomide, compared to 185 patients who received standard treatment only. Results indicated that progression-free survival increased to about 14 months compared to 8 months in the control group, while overall survival exceeded 30 months compared to 19 months in the control group.
Study principal investigator Dr. Graeme Woodworth said the findings are “very encouraging,” noting that focused ultrasound could significantly enhance delivery of chemotherapy to the tumor site and improve patient outcomes. He added that the technique also allows the use of liquid biopsy to monitor tumor markers in the blood, offering a less invasive way to assess disease progression and treatment response.
Glioblastoma is among the most common and fatal malignant brain tumors, with a five-year survival rate of only 5.5 percent. Patients often face challenges receiving chemotherapy due to the blood-brain barrier, which prevents most drugs from reaching the tumor.
