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GLIADEL or Stereotactic Radiosurgery after Surgery for the Treatment of Metastatic Brain Tumor

Trial Status: active

This phase II trial investigates how well GLIADEL wafers after surgery work compared to stereotactic radiosurgery after surgery in treating patients with cancer that has spread to the brain (metastatic brain tumor). GLIADEL is a wafer that is used to deliver the anticancer drug carmustine directly into a brain tumor site after the tumor has been removed by surgery. Chemotherapy drugs, such as carmustine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Stereotactic radiosurgery uses special equipment to position a patient and deliver radiation to tumors with high precision. This method may kill tumor cells with fewer doses over a shorter period and cause less damage to normal tissue. Giving GLIADEL or stereotactic radiosurgery after surgery may help keep the cancer from coming back.