Brain Cancer

Following fertility clinic malfunctions in Cleveland and San Francisco, many patients who have or had cancer are facing devastating losses, leaving many questions in the wake of these events.

Findings from an early phase clinical trial that used a so-called “smart bomb” virus — which was altered to attack tumor cells rather than normal cells — appeared to show promise in this area.

Researchers from Texas A&M University found that circadian rhythms may be key in the timing of when chemotherapy is administered to patients with glioblastoma.

After being diagnosed with glioblastoma, experimental immunotherapy saved his life.

It's hard to stop comparing our sick bodies to the people around us, but once we do, as both patients and caretakers, we learn to honor our own experiences and value ourselves in new and beautiful ways.

In recent years, major advances have been made in the immunotherapy scape, as it has become instrumental in revolutionizing the way oncologists treat a variety of cancers. However, its success in patients with brain cancer has been extremely limited.

While causes for pneumonia were varied – including bacteria (14 percent), virus (22 percent) and unspecified (64 percent) – the majority of children did not have immune deficiencies recorded at the time of their pneumonia diagnosis.

During her cancer journey, an author and her physicist friend traded insights.

NextSource Pharma, a small pharmaceutical company based in Florida, acquired the drug lomustine from Bristol-Myers Squibb, changed its brand name to Gleostine, and changed the price – by about 1,400 percent.

Adequate end-of-life care derives a variety of benefits for both patients and their families, including less invasive and ineffective intervention and less financial burden, said study author Justin Jordan, M.D., MPH, clinical director of the Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center.

Optune is a method of treatment where adhesive patches are applied to the patient’s scalp. The patch transductors deliver low-intensity electric fields – called Tumor Treating Fields – that stop the growth and division of GBM cells.

The FDA has granted Avastin (bevacizumab) a full approval for the treatment of adult patients with glioblastoma who progressed following prior therapy, according to Genentech, the manufacturer of the VEGF inhibitor.

After tracking the progress of about 20 patients with brain cancer who used cannabis, a neuro-oncologist found that the substance caused them no harm, had few side effects and did not interfere with conventional treatments.

Can a certain diet improve cancer outcomes?

Immunotherapies are largely unavailable to patients with brain cancer, but many of these approaches are being studied both in labs and in clinical trials, and there is hope that they will eventually play a role in the treatment of gliomas.

Quality-of-life care has benefits from the outset for these patients, but because some might confuse it with end-of-life support, neuro-oncologists may be hesitant about introducing it.

At its third annual gala, the magazine honored four professionals for their work helping people with glioblastoma.

When our bodies have experienced trauma, it is so easy to live in fear of what else may go wrong. But accepting that we don't know what will happen to us also means accepting that the worst is not always inevitable. Sometimes, despite our fears, we still thrive, and that is a reason to recognize that even if you've suffered, you can still be OK.

Those of us who have suffered often fear what can go wrong with them. But the more we know our bodies, the more we can love them and ourselves.

David Reardon, M.D., clinical director at the Center for Neuro-oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, breaks down a common misconception that many people have about glioblastoma (GBM).

Both oncologists and primary care physicians do not provide adequate care to fully address cancer survivorship needs. Learn about why and solutions for people in their cancer journey.

David Reardon, M.D., clinical director at the Center for Neuro-oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, offers advice for patients who have recently been diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM).

In early 2015, Zika outbreaks caused widespread panic in many parts of North and South America. However, now researchers are exploring the possibility of putting the virus to good use: fighting glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most deadly type of brain cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first ever biosimilar to treat a variety of cancers.

Every six months, I get an MRI to check for recurrence or growth of my brain tumor. This is one of those times. To prepare for tomorrow, I try to remember not to forgo today.