Clinical data backs up Boston Scientific's newly approved cancer treatment

Photo | Courtesy Boston Scientific is headquartered in Marlborough.

Write a Comment

By Sam Bonacci

Marlborough medical device company Boston Scientific has released newly obtained study data speaking to the effectiveness of its TheraSphere Y-90 Glass Microspheres cancer treatment, which has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.

The treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of primary liver cancer, is comprised of millions of microscopic glass beads containing radioactive yttrium, which are delivered directly to liver tumors via catheter and result in minimal exposure to surrounding healthy tissue, according to Boston Scientific. The new data from the TARGET clinical trial study found the treatment was safe and well tolerated, according to Boston Scientific, with only 4.8% of patients experiencing adverse events.

Additionally, the study also demonstrated a correlation between the level of radiation absorbed by the tumor and an increase in survival probability through three years – with a median overall survival of 20.3 months.

The study “adds to the robust body of evidence supporting TheraSphere as a safe and effective treatment option,” Peter Pattison, president of Interventional Oncology, Peripheral Interventions at Boston Scientific said in the release.