Mallorca: €3.6m brain tumour device rental approved
In Palma, Mallorca, on 9 October, the Balearic government approves a €3.6 million rental contract for a device to treat glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumour. The device is called Optune Gio. Government spokesman Antoni Costa announced the decision after a cabinet meeting.
How the treatment works
The treatment uses low-intensity electrical fields, known as TTFields, delivered to the brain through electrodes on the scalp. It is intended for people recently diagnosed with glioblastoma who have completed chemotherapy and radiotherapy and whose disease is not progressing. Costa said it reduces the ability of tumour cells to multiply.
Available evidence suggests the treatment may boost the effect of chemotherapy, help control the disease and improve patients’ chances of survival.
Stents for blocked passages
The government also approved the next step towards a supply agreement for implantable stents at Balearic Health Service centres. The agreement has an estimated maximum value of €3.2 million.
Stents are devices that reopen blocked passages or keep them open. These will be used for conditions affecting the digestive tract and the bile and pancreatic ducts. According to Costa, they can make treatment of complex cases less invasive and help patients recover faster.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com