Optune in Portland

​Treating glioblastoma with Optune

Glioblastoma, also called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is a type of primary brain cancer. GBM is the most common type of primary brain tumor in adults. It’s also known as an aggressive cancer.

Because GBM can be hard to reach, surgery may not be able to remove the entire tumor. GBM also grows and can spread quickly.

How Optune helps

Adventist Health’s cancer care team is certified to deliver TTFields using the Optune device. Optune is a noninvasive treatment that can be used together with chemotherapy after surgery.

Optune is a wearable and portable FDA-approved device for the treatment of GBM. Optune creates low-intensity alternating electric fields — TTFields—that help slow or stop glioblastoma cancer cells from dividing. TTFields may also cause some GBM cells to die.

TTFields work when cancer cells are dividing, so they do not typically disrupt healthy resting cells.

Because Optune is portable therapy, many patients can go about their daily activities while receiving treatment. In fact, the newest Optune system is smaller and lighter to make it fit your everyday life even better.

How well Optune works

In newly diagnosed GBM, Optune combined with standard-of-care chemotherapy makes a big improvement in survival rates. Plus, Optune helps without adding significant problems and side effects.

If GBM comes back, using Optune for treatment is about as effective as using chemotherapy — with a better quality of life and without many of chemotherapy’s side effects.

Adventist Health Portland’s radiation oncology team offers this innovative technology to patients who might benefit from it. You can get more information by calling (503) 251-6305.