Cancer Research Journal » Brain Cancer

Waukesha Memorial Hospital Webcasts Brain Cancer Panel

Lisa — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:45:03 +0000

Are you interested in learning more about brain cancer treatments?

On Wednesday, October 8, 2008, ORlive will webcast a panel of physicians discussing the case of a brain tumor patient treated with CyberKnife® technology.

ProHealth Care is presenting the panel discussion from Waukesha Memorial Hospital in Wisconsin. Radiation oncologist Nagrenda (Bobby) Koneru, MD, neuro-oncologist Hendrikus Krouwer, MD, PhD, and neurosurgeon Kenneth Reichert, MD, will participate in the roundtable discussion.

The meeting will be moderated by Michael McCrea, PhD, of ProHealth Care’s Neuroscience Center.

The public is invited to watch the live webcast free of charge beginning at 12:00 PM CDT. If you miss the live broadcast, you can view it later by accessing the ORlive archives.

If you’re a patient in the United States who’d like to learn more about brain cancer, there’s additional information available on the American Cancer Society web site.

NOTE: CyberKnife® is a registered trademark of Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ:ARAY).

Source: OR-Live.com

Dr Bernadine Healy Covers Cancer Etiquette in Living Time

Lisa — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:40:21 +0000

Dr Bernadine Healy, a respected cardiologist and brain cancer survivor, has written a book which includes useful advice for people wondering what to say — or not say — to a friend or family member recently diagnosed with cancer.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush appointed Dr Healy the first woman director of the National Institutes of Health. She was also chosen to lead the American Red Cross during their response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

After being diagnosed with a brain tumor in early 1999, Dr Healy was surprised by some of the awkward comments and gestures she received from those who discovered she was a cancer patient. People who meant well would do inappropriate things like grabbing her hair to see if she was wearing a wig and one woman told her “It’s amazing how good you can look when you’re dying.”

Hoping to spare future cancer patients the discomfort of these difficult encounters, the doctor decided to include practical tips on cancer etiquette when she wrote her own book Living Time – Faith and Facts to Transform Your Cancer Journey.

One simple piece of advice she offers readers is to think about how you’d like to be treated before you start speaking. As the author says,

“One thing you don’t want to do is to instantly assume it’s terminal.”

Bernadine Healy, MD
Oliogodendroglioma Survivor

Living Time covers more than just cancer etiquette, it also contains Dr Healy’s personal and professional insights about cancer treatments and the future of cancer research. To read an excerpt from her book, click here.

Living Time is published by Bantam, a division of Random House, Inc. To find out if a public library near you carries it, check out WorldCat.org

If you’d like more tips on supporting a loved one with cancer, there’s a lot of useful information on the Common Questions on Caring and Helping web page published by Massachusetts General Hospital.

Source: CNN

Related Links: Cleveland.com; getyourheadinthegame.org

Technorati Tags: cancer books; caregiving; cancer support; mixed gliomas; oncology

BBC to Broadcast Brain Surgery Done with 65-Dollar Drill

Lisa — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:31:18 +0000

A British doctor on a humanitarian trip recently performed emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor from a patient in the Ukraine.

While that act is pretty amazing in itself, this case gets even more interesting. That’s because the event was captured on camera, the patient was conscious, and the surgeon was using an ordinary Bosch cordless drill purchased for about $65.

Dr Henry Marsh, a neurosurgeon from London, was traveling through Eastern Europe doing charity work when he learned of a patient with a brain tumor named Marian Dolishny. Without a qualified anesthesiologist or proper equipment in the area, a local physician told Marsh there was nothing they could do to help Dolishny.

Unable to accept that, Dr Marsh decided to perform surgery anyway using only local anesthetic to control pain and an inexpensive 9.6 volt cordless drill. When the drill’s battery died, he finished the lifesaving procedure by hand. He spoke with his patient throughout the operation to check for signs of brain damage. When asked about his unorthodox work, the doctor had this to say,

“I’m not recommending that we should all use do-it-yourself drills in England, but it shows how with improvisation you can achieve a lot.”

Henry Marsh, MD
Neurosurgeon, St George’s Hospital, UK

Documentary makers from BBC captured the surgery on film and are planning to broadcast it on BBC TWO in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2008.

If you’re interested in viewing other more-modern surgeries treating benign or malignant tumors and other medical conditions, you can visit the OR-Live web site.

Source: FOX News

Related Links: belfastfilmfestival.org; USA Today; Oxfam.org.uk

Technorati Tags: neuro-oncology; volunteer vacations; medical humanitarian missions

Yale Uses Rabies-Related Virus to Target Brain Tumors

Lisa — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:56:50 +0000

Scientists at the Yale School of Medicine have successfully used lab-created versions of a virus related to rabies to destroy human brain cancers transplanted into mice.

Statistics show more than 20,000 Americans are diagnosed with brain tumors each year and most of these patients have few effective treatment options. Many brain cancers are invasive and inoperable making the prognosis poor for patients. Some chemotherapies and radiation therapies exist, but they often leave malignant cells behind so the tumors return.

Looking for a method doctors could use to target the worst kinds of brain cancer while saving surrounding tissue, the Yale University team focused their attention on a virus normally confined to Central America called vesicular stomatitis virus, or VSV for short.

Their research revealed that three days after injecting VSV into the tails of the mice, the human tumor cells were infected and either dying or already dead. Normal brain cells were spared because healthy cells have defense mechanisms which tumors lack that protect them from VSV.

The exact mechanisms VSV uses to locate and destroy cancerous cells are not fully understood yet, but Yale’s investigation revealed it was surprisingly effective at killing some of the deadliest forms of cancer. They are optimistic the process can be adapted for other kinds of cancer as well. However, unlike typical vaccines that cause a harmless immune reaction, VSV shots do cause an active infection – a feature that could limit their use as a cancer treatment.

The researchers say more studies on the safety of this new viral approach and the technology involved are needed before clinical trials on humans can begin, but their work has already been described as potentially groundbreaking. As one expert not connected with the Yale study said,

“You are dealing with 25,000 patients each year who have no hope. Radiation prolongs life some, surgery does somewhat, and chemotherapy is not effective. Any research that takes a new tack is exciting.”

Harald Sontheimer, PhD
Neurobiologist, University of Alabama at Birmingham

If you’d like to learn more about Yale’s work with VSV, their study has been published in the February 20, 2008, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Patients in the US interested in clinical trials testing other new brain cancer treatments can find more information at the ClinicalTrials.gov web site.

Sources: Yale Daily News and Discovery News

Technorati Tags: Anthony van den Pol, PhD; metastatic carcinoma; glioma; oncology; New Haven, CT

STAT3 Inhibitors Can Help or Harm Glioblastoma Patients

Lisa — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:46:07 +0000

A study led by the Harvard School of Medicine provides evidence that targeted chemotherapies commonly used to treat glioblastoma may do more harm than good for some patients.

Glioblastoma is a rare form of brain cancer with a poor survival rate. STAT3 inhibitors are one of the few therapies available to treat the disease, but Harvard’s study indicates the patient’s genetic profile determines whether STAT3 genes act as oncogenes that promote tumor development or suppressors that work to stop cancer.

To arrive at their findings, researchers from Harvard and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute studied astrocytes in mice. Their investigation revealed mutations in two other genes, EGFR and PTEN, affected the function of STAT3 thereby determining whether it kept cancerous cells in check or helped their formation. Specifically, when EGFR mutated and interacted with STAT3, it turned STAT3 into an oncogene, but when PTEN mutated it transformed STAT3 into a tumor suppressor. The scientists later confirmed their surprising results in human glioblastoma tumors.

The discovery has important implications for glioblastoma patients because STAT3 has long been believed to cause the cancer. As the study’s senior author explained,

“This discovery lays the foundation for a more tailored therapeutic intervention. And that’s really important. You can’t just go blindly treating people by inhibiting STAT3.”

Azad Bonni, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School

The team’s findings could impact studies on more common cancers as well — STAT3 has also been implicated in some breast and prostate cancers.

If you’d like to learn more, results of the study are published in the February 7, 2008, online edition of Genes and Development.

Source: Harvard Medicine News Alert

Technorati Tags: glioma; neuro-oncology; neurology; Stewart Trust of Washington, DC; Armenise-Harvard Foundation; Carolyn and Peter Lynch Research Fund; Boston, MA

NYU Begins Testing Brain Cancer Vaccine

Lisa — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:55:51 +0000

Scientists from the New York University Medical Center are starting clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of a vaccine designed to combat glioblastoma multiforme, a deadly form of brain cancer.

The DCVax-Brain vaccine, manufactured by Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc (OTC: NWBO), uses extracts from the patient’s own tumor cells to generate an immune response in the body. To make this possible, tumor and blood samples removed from the patient during surgery are shipped to the manufacturer. Once the samples are received, a year’s supply of the vaccine is created and shipped frozen back to the treatment facility to be administered.

Dr Patrick Kelly and Dr Michael Gruber will lead the NYU research team. Patients enrolled in the study will be randomized into two groups, one receiving the standard therapy (surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy) while the other receives standard therapy plus the vaccine.

Researchers admit they are excited about the vaccine’s potential. As one explained,

“Everything now depends on something in addition to surgery so that these tumors do not recur. A cancer vaccine like this may make a difference in extending life and maintaining a good quality of life.”

Patrick J Kelly, MD
Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery
NYU Medical Center

Source: United Press International

Related Podcast: An Update on Brain Tumors from Yale Cancer Center Answers

Tags: astrocytoma; Bothell; Washington; immunotherapy; neuro-oncology; Bethesda; Maryland

Medical Marijuana Plan Continues to Grow in New Mexico

Lisa — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:00:16 +0000

Governor Bill Richardson has directed the New Mexico Department of Health to continue plans for a state-run medical marijuana program despite worries that his actions could lead to federal prosecutions for drug trafficking.

New Mexico’s state laws allow the use of medical marijuana by patients who are undergoing treatment for chronic conditions such as cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS.

The issue of medical marijuana remains a highly divisive one. Advocates for medical marijuana say it is very effective for alleviating serious side effects associated with their disease such as easing chemotherapy-induced nausea or reducing seizures caused by brain tumors. Critics of legalized marijuana are concerned about the potential misuse of crops designated as medical marijuana and other potential health risks associated with the drug.

NM is the 12th state to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes, but the first one planning to implement a state-licensed production and distribution program for the drug.

For now, critics and advocates alike are keeping a close eye on developments in New Mexico to see how federal prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice react to Governor Richardson’s plans.

Source: Associated Press Article in Forbes

tags: cannabis; Marinol; Sativex

Pacific Northwest Prepares for First Proton Therapy Center

Lisa — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:11:53 +0000

The Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) has announced plans to open a 22 million dollar Proton Beam Radiation Therapy (PBRT) treatment facility which will be the first one of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

PBRT is designed to target tumors that are in close proximity to critical body structures. It is currently used to treat cancers of the brain, breast, esophagus, eye, prostate, spine, head and neck, but it is not available in many regions. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 20 PBRT centers are in operation around the world and only a few of those facilities are located in the United States.

Executives from SCI have already contracted with Still River Systems of Littleton, Massachusetts, to purchase their latest generation of PBRT equipment, marketed under the trade name Clinatron 250. Partnership plans are also underway with other suburban Seattle hospitals, including the Providence Everett Medical Center, to give future cancer patients and healthcare providers improved access to the new–and expensive–technology. According to Cal Knight, Swedish’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer,

“There is no need for multiple institutions to invest in duplicate medical technology if we can share it effectively for the benefit of all patients in the Pacific Northwest.”

Still River Systems, Inc, is still in the process of obtaining marketing clearance for the Clinatron 250 from the US Food and Drug Administration, but SCI executives are optimistic and have tentatively projected a December 2010 target date to begin patient treatments with the new PBRT system.

Source: Swedish Cancer Institute

Tags: radiology; Puget Sound; Washington; CMS, Inc; radiosurgery

Study Shows Chemo Causes Less Damage to Children With Brain Cancer

Lisa — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:00:56 +0000

A twelve year study carried out by the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group at the University of Nottingham has shown that chemotherapy may be a better choice than radiation therapy for treating young children with a rare form of brain cancer known as ependymoma.

Results of the research revealed that using chemotherapy rather than radiotherapy in children under three years of age reduced the risk of damage to important brain functions such as IQ, development, and short-term memory, without compromising the patient’s chance of survival.

The study was authored by Professor Richard Grundy from the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC) and is published in the July 2007 edition of Lancet Oncology.

“We know that radiotherapy can be harmful to the developing brain, so avoiding it, or using it at an older age if needed, will hopefully reduce any learning difficulties these children may develop without compromising their chance of a cure.”
– Professor Richard Grundy, CBTRC

Source: University of Nottingham News

ORlive: Pictures That Are Worth More Than a Thousand Words

Lisa — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:44:27 +0000

Not so long ago, only medical professionals and sedated patients were allowed inside the operating room while surgery was taking place…not anymore! An amazing web site called ORlive is now giving anyone with internet access the chance to view detailed footage of actual operations.

screenshot from or-live.com video

This innovative site’s search engines allow users to easily locate broadcasts from specific institutions ranging from the Akron Children’s Hospital to Zimmer, Inc, and the capability to sort according to specialties such as cardiovascular, pediatrics, or oncology. In addition to operations, ORlive gives you on-demand access to other medical procedures like radiation treatments and laboratory studies.

Want more? Some of the live webcasts give you the rare opportunity to e-mail questions to the physician(s) who are performing the procedure which they answer before the completion of the segment.

WARNING to those who don’t care for the sight of blood and guts: Videos featured on ORlive are the real deal and are shown from a surgeon’s or provider’s vantage point. Images can be extremely graphic in nature and may not be suitable for some viewers.

Recent webcasts about a new radiation therapy for treating brain tumors and a liver resection surgery will be of particular interest to some cancer patients.

A live broadcast from Tufts-New England Medical Center relating to kidney cancer is also scheduled for July 25, 2007.

ORlive’s free, high quality images are certain to be a valuable resource for students, teachers, patients, caregivers, scientists, journalists, medical providers and the merely curious.

Source: CRJ

Tags: interactive health; Carolinas Medical Center; North Carolina; Hartford Hospital; Connecticut; Trilogy Stereostatic Radiation; CME; Boston; Massachusetts; slp3D; webcasts