The JFK New Jersey Neuroscience Institute in Edison to Offer New Treatment for Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme, a Deadly Brain Tumor

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CONTACT:  Steven Weiss
PHONE:  (732) 632-1530
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EDISON, NJ  (December 6, 2011) - The JFK New Jersey Neuroscience Institute has announced that it is one of the first cancer centers in the U.S. to receive training and certification to treat patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with a new therapy called Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) ™.  GBM is a deadly brain tumor affecting approximately 10,000 Americans each year.

This novel, non-invasive therapy is provided using a portable device called the NovoTTF-100A System™ made by Novocure™, which uses alternating electrical fields to disrupt the rapid cell division exhibited by cancer cells.

“Patients with recurrent GBM present a significant treatment challenge,” said Dr. Joseph Landolfi, Director of Neuro-Oncology at the JFK New Jersey Neuroscience Institute.  “We were one of the primary clinical research sites for the approval trial which demonstrated that, compared to patients treated with chemotherapy, NovoTTF -treated patients achieved comparable median overall survival times, had fewer side effects, and reported improved quality of life scores.  We are proud to work with Novocure to make this state-of-the-art therapy available to those GBM patients who need it.”

For more information about this treatment, please call (732) 321-7010 or visit our website at www.jfkmc.org.

About Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and most common form of primary brain tumor in the U.S. The disease affects approximately 10,000 Americans each year.  The median overall survival time from initial diagnosis is 15 months with optimal treatment, and median survival from the time of tumor recurrence is only 3-5 months without additional effective treatment.  The disease is widely recognized as one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of cancer.

About TTF Therapy
TTF therapy provides physicians with a fourth treatment modality for cancer in addition to surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy and can be regarded as a novel platform technology for the treatment of solid tumors.

TTF therapy has been shown in vitro and in vivo to effectively inhibit tumor growth by inducing cell death. TTF takes advantage of the electrical characteristics, geometrical shape and replication rate of dividing cancer cells – all of which makes them susceptible to the effects of alternating electric fields.  TTF therapy is delivered using non-invasive, insulated transducer arrays that are placed directly on the skin in the region of the tumor.  TTF therapy does not deliver any electric current to the tissue; it does not stimulate nerves or muscles or heat the tissue.  It creates an artificial, alternating electric field within the tumor which disrupts cancer cell division and can cause complete destruction of the dividing cancer cells.

About the NovoTTF-100A System
NovoTTF-100A System is a portable, non-invasive medical device designed for continuous use throughout the day by the patient.  The device has been shown in in vitro and in vivo studies to slow and reverse tumor growth by inhibiting mitosis, the process by which cells divide and replicate.  The NovoTTF-100A device, which weighs about six pounds (three kilograms), creates a low intensity, alternating electric field within the tumor that exerts physical forces on electrically charged cellular components, preventing the normal mitotic process and causing cancer cell death prior to division.  In patients with recurrent glioblastoma brain tumors, the device has shown clinical efficacy comparable to that of active chemotherapies with better quality of life without many of the side effects of chemotherapy.  The most commonly reported side effect from NovoTTF treatment was a mild-to-moderate rash beneath the electrodes. The NovoTTF-100A has received marketing approval in the US and is a CE Marked device that is cleared for sale in Europe.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the NovoTTF-100A System for use as a treatment for adult patients (22 years of age or older) with histologically-confirmed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), following histologically – or radiologically-confirmed recurrence in the supra-tentorial region of the brain after receiving chemotherapy.  The device is intended to be used as monotherapy, and is intended as an alternative to standard medical therapy for GBM after surgical and radiation options have been exhausted.

Patients should only use the NovoTTF-100A System under the supervision of a physician properly trained in use of the device.

About JFK Medical Center
JFK Medical Center, an affiliate of JFK Health System, is a 493-bed full-service, acute care hospital, and the home of the JFK Johnson Rehabilitative Institute. Located in the heart of Edison, NJ, JFK has remained at the forefront of quality care in the region since its inception in 1967. Today, JFK accommodates more than 20,000 admissions, 3,000 births and 60,000 Emergency Room visits on a yearly basis. The Medical Center features a complete array of services, including general surgery, emergency medicine, mental health, orthopedics, maternity and pediatric care. It is home to two world renowned institutes: the JFK New Jersey Neuroscience Institute and the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, as well as JFK Haven Hospice, JFK Imaging Center and the Center for Wound Healing.

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