A “tumor monorail” that lures aggressive brain tumor cells to their death in an external container has won “breakthrough device” designation from FDA. The purpose of the device is not to destroy the glioblastoma tumor, but to halt its lethal spread, making the disease more of a condition to manage than a death sentence.

Giving patients with lethal brain tumors a powerful new form of cancer treatment before they underwent surgery helped them live longer on average than patients who started the drugs after surgery, researchers reported in a study published Monday.

A device that aims to draw aggressive brain tumor cells to the exterior of the brain, where they can be collected and extracted, has received FDA's breakthrough designation, meaning the agency will expedite its review.

Researchers at the UCLA seeking new treatments for the cancer, called recurrent glioblastoma, found that patients who were treated with Keytruda before the removal of a brain tumor survived an average of 417 days -- nearly double the historic average for the deadly disease.

A new device nicknamed the “Tumor Monorail” has just received breakthrough device designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The device is a network of extremely thin fibres made from a gel-like substance that mimics the properties of a brain.

The researchers plan to screen each tumor using the UCSF 500 Cancer Gene Panel, which can detect the most frequently occurring mutations. Tumors also will undergo whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing for all DNA and genes along with RNA sequencing.