Your Path to Hope Resources

Written by Erin Gaffney I’ve been fortunate to serve as an ambassador for several organizations.  I joined the Executive Leadership Committee for the American Heart Association to raise awareness for heart disease.  I participated in …

About Us Brain tumors present unique challenges, demanding specialized care from diagnosis through treatment. With a shared commitment to addressing these challenges, the Brain Cancer Support and Solutions Alliance leverages the strengths of its member organizations to …

In the realm of oncology, the pursuit of more precise and effective treatments is unceasing. Among the innovative modalities that have emerged, proton therapy stands out as a promising advancement, particularly in the treatment of brain cancer. Distinguished by its ability to deliver targeted radiation while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue, proton therapy offers a distinct advantage over conventional radiation therapy methods.Understanding Proton Therapy: Proton therapy operates on the principle of using proton beams to irradiate cancerous cells. Unlike conventional radiation, which employs photons, proton therapy harnesses charged particles, specifically protons, to penetrate the tumor with precision.

What is the NIH (National Institute of Health)? Established in 1887, the NIH has been at the forefront of medical discovery for over a century. It is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, investing billions of dollars annually to support scientists and institutions across the nation and around the globe. Its mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and apply that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.

Receiving a diagnosis of a brain tumor can be overwhelming and daunting. However, effective communication with your medical team can play a crucial role in understanding your condition, exploring treatment options, and ensuring the best possible care. Here’s a beginner’s guide on how to communicate effectively with your medical team after a brain tumor diagnosis:Establish Open Communication Channels: From the very beginning, establish open and honest communication with your medical team. Let them know your concerns, questions, and preferences. Creating a comfortable environment for communication can help alleviate anxiety and foster trust.

Kansas City beneficiary partners, the University of Kansas Cancer Center and Children’s Mercy, collaborated in efforts to treat a pediatric brain tumor patient.

Novocure was founded to provide patients with a new cancer treatment based on using alternating electric fields, when applied at specific frequencies, can disrupt cancer cell division and cause cancer cell death. This innovative treatment, Tumor Treating Fields, is a completely different approach to cancer therapy. What are TTFields?TTFields are electric fields that exert physical forces to kill cancer cells via a variety of mechanisms.Electric fields have different effects on the human body depending on their frequency, leading to diverse applications in healthcare such as microwave ablation, deep brain stimulation, and pacemakers.

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

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.

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.