LONDON, Oct 30: A man's brain tumor has shrunk by half in a matter of weeks thanks to a new radioactive therapy, BBC reported on Tuesday.

Patient Paul Read, aged 62, was the first to take part in a trial aimed at treating glioblastoma, a type of cancer that kills most patients within 18 months. The therapy, executed at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), involved injecting low levels of radioactivity directly into the tumor to kill off cancer cells.

The doctor who designed the trial said the results were "remarkable for somebody whose tumor is so aggressive." Surgeons first removed as much tumor as possible before implanting a small medical device, called an Ommaya reservoir, under the scalp, the BBC said. The drug ATT001, which is given weekly for four to six weeks, is potent over short distances, causing lethal damage to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.   (KUNA)