Your Path to Hope Resources

For episode 08 of the Rare Enough podcast we share a conversation with Shane Brown, where we explore the groundbreaking innovations of GT Medical Technologies and more specifically, the GammaTile.What is the Gamma Tile?  GammaTile, created by GT Medical Technologies, is redefining brain tumor treatment. By delivering targeted radiation directly to the tumor bed during surgery, GammaTile minimizes exposure to healthy tissue, offering enhanced outcomes and reduced side effects for patients facing the complexities of brain tumors.

In the age of digital connectivity and social media, the internet has become an invaluable tool for providing support and staying connected, especially for patients and their caregivers.

Brain cancer is a devastating diagnosis that profoundly affects patients and their families. The treatment of brain cancer typically involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. While these treatments are crucial for combating cancer, they often come with a host of physical and emotional side effects. Myofascial release therapy is emerging as a complementary approach that can provide significant benefits to brain cancer patients, helping them manage symptoms, improve their quality of life, and support their overall well-being.

Gift from a Child is a national initiative supported by families who have lost children to brain cancer, private foundations, researchers and medical professionals. It currently receives its funding from the Swifty Foundation.

I was able to attend The Society of Neuro-Oncology annual meeting in November 2022 and learned an amazing amount about what the field is focusing on and how it can pave the way for future treatments of this horrible disease.

A brain tumor diagnosis can be overwhelming, but fortunately, various proven FDA-cleared and FDA-approved treatment options are available.

When hearing the words, ‘You have a brain tumor’, your mind begins to wander in multiple places; How long do I have? What does this mean? Is it even true? Are you sure? Could it be anything else?

A brain tumor patient will encounter numerous specialists and need to make a multitude of decisions throughout their journey. With these factors and more, navigating cancer care can be overwhelming.  For patients with glioblastoma (GBM), management is even more challenging due to their poor prognosis, feelings of isolation, need for treatment, and cognitive decline associated with this rare and progressive disorder. For these reasons, shared decision-making (SDM) must be integrated into standard practice so that patients’ expectations and goals are considered when discussing and weighing the risks and benefits of treatments.

After a diagnosis of brain cancer, it is likely that surgery or some other treatment will be recommended to remove or shrink the tumor. These treatments can sometimes alter a patient’s mental status and/or ability to communicate. This possibility makes it all the more important for families to consider executing various legal documents to ensure that a patient’s wishes are honored. While it may seem morbid to discuss what treatments or measures should be taken to keep someone alive or comfortable, these documents can help provide guidance and reassurance for …

Since I started my training, there was the establishment of what’s currently the standard of care. Which is the concurrent use of radiation and temozolomide and adjuvant temozolomide. That, unfortunately, has not changed though, in the last 15 years. So although I got to see the transformation of the field and maybe for the first time, a large number of patients who have five years and beyond survival, we still have not been able to really make that a reality for a majority of patients. So we’ve unfortunately had some limitations in the advancements since that time.