BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Saint Alphonsus doctors are now the first in the Northwest to use GammaTile--a radiation therapy treatment for brain tumors.

The FDA-cleared treatment surgically implants postage-stamp-sized tiles which provide radiation over the course of 33 days and then disintegrate.

GammaTile treatment is used after a tumor is removed. Saint Alphonsus says it takes about five minutes to place the tiles.

Dr. Ondrej Choutka, a neurosurgeon with Saint Alphonsus, performed a GammaTile treatment on Jan. 5.

"[The patient] had a recurrent brain tumor, which was previously treated with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. His tumor recurrence was a single brain lesion, and the patient had a good performance status with the ability to undergo repeat surgery as well as radiation,” said Dr. Lindsay Sales, Saint Alphonsus radiation oncologist.

“There are several advantages of this therapy that benefit the patient, including no additional trips to the hospital for radiation treatments, protection of healthy scalp and brain tissue, and lower overall level of radiation exposure,” Dr. Choutka said. “Additionally, GammaTile has been shown to limit side effects, including hair loss. It’s tremendous that Saint Alphonsus is able to be the first in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest to provide this cutting-edge cancer therapy.”

ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmpaeTlrlwv8Cipa1lkaG9qbvNrKysZZaev7TAjKKlZqyYmnqvu9Gtn7Cdo6l6tbuMrqqeZZ6axG6%2BwJ2gmqyZpLtur8Cnmp6qXam%2Fpq3TppynrA%3D%3D