Louisville surgeons are using a new unprecedented radiation surgery to fight brain cancer

Tom Shober was filled with gratitude after undergoing an unprecedented new cancer operation earlier this month at University of Louisville Health's downtown hospital campus – "I wake up every day and I just say I'm happy to be here."

This is Shober's second experience with cancer, he said Tuesday morning. In response, surgeons at the hospital performed Kentucky's first GammaTile operation after removing Shober's most recent tumor, a move aimed at delaying tumor regrowth and protecting healthy brain tissue.

A GammaTile is about one inch in size. During brain tumor surgery, it's laid over affected areas to purge cancerous cells, according to Dr. Brian Williams, one of the neurosurgeons who assisted on the surgery.

Shober also had cancer near his lower spine, Williams said, so doctors wanted to take an "aggressive" approach to treatment so that he could "live longer and better" while mitigating the risk of radiation near his brain.

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Shober's surgery took place on Aug. 1, and in the time since then, he's been recovering well, according to Williams and hospital staff members. In fact, Shober and his wife, Tina, are planning to go on vacation in coming months, and Williams said that inspired him during the difficult time.

"I think having people who are doing well and can have a better life, and hopefully a longer life, because of what you've done is really important, and it does keep your spirits lifted," he said.

Shober said he was "all in" when it came to the surgery, despite its unprecedented status in the commonwealth.

"I don't know if, down the road, it's going to really help me that much," Shober said. But he won't be the last to undergo the operation – he hopes whoever comes next will benefit from the technology.

Tina Shober, meanwhile, said she was glad the therapy targeted a specific part of her husband's brain instead of risking additional exposure to radiation.

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Traditional cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy are delivered over time following surgery, often with dozens of treatment sessions over several weeks, which can cause a "substantial burden of treatment for patients and their caregivers alike," according to University of Louisville Health spokesperson Heather Fountaine. GammaTile, in comparison, delivers radiation treatment within 60 to 90 days, Williams said, with a release from the hospital noting it can let patients "receive treatment as they go about their daily lives."

GammaTile is also "highly targeted," Fountaine said. "While a therapeutic dose is delivered to the area most likely to have a recurrence, healthy tissue is spared. As a result, most patients avoid losing their hair during treatment."

Both doctors and their patient said there is a special bond that forms when life-saving therapy options like GammaTile are in consideration.

"You can just kind of do everything else because they're taking care of all the hard stuff," said Tina Shober.

The emotional stress of a cancer diagnosis is huge, her husband expressed.

"You go through phases. You know, at first you're discouraged. You're depressed. Then you kind of get angry," he said. "... Then you kind of think, 'Well, you know, maybe you should have taken better care of yourself.' But really, it was a whole phase of emotions. I mean, you know, deadly fear – 'Am I going to die tomorrow?' I mean, there's so many unknowns."

Shober said his family and friends are part of what helps keep him going as well.

"I basically had two choices," Shober said. "It was either throw in the towel or get up off the mat and fight some more."

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U of L Health opens dedicated heart hospital

Tuesday's announcement of the state's first GammaTile operation comes on the heels of the opening of the region's first dedicated cardiac hospital as well.

Last week, University of Louisville Health - Heart Hospital at Jewish Hospital opened, the organization announced, pulling all of the health care system's heart services under one roof.

"The University of Louisville Health at Jewish Hospital is the region’s only hospital exclusively focused on comprehensive and innovative heart care," according to a release from David McArthur, a hospital spokesperson.

The Heart Hospital has over 100 beds for dedicated heart patients and rises 15 stories above downtown Louisville, McArthur said. It will provide "leading-edge heart care on UofL Health’s academic medical campus" in a single building, with more than 300 health care professionals working as part of the team.

Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville surgeons use GammaTile cancer surgery, a first in Kentucky