symptoms of cancer of the throat

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

Focus On Cancer Year in Review: New Brain Cancer Treatments at Penn

Posted on 05:00 by Unknown

2012 was an exciting year for the Abramson Cancer Center. We are featuring blogs featured on the Focus On Cancer blog that highlight cancer treatment breakthroughs, coping tips and ideas, education and inspiration. Today, we are highlighting the brain cancer treatment at Penn.

There are new treatments for brain cancer at Penn. In this article, writer and cancer survivor Chris Wilson discusses new treatments in surgery, radiation and targeted therapies for brain cancer.

New Treatments for Brain Cancer


Christine Wilson, cancer survivor, shares her experiences from the Abramson Cancer Center’s 2012- Focus on Brain Cancer Conference:
Discovery to Recovery. In this blog, she discusses treatments for brain cancer.

Neurosurgery:  The Crux of Treatment for Brain Cancer


"The neurosurgeon's goal is take out as much of the tumor as possible safely, " says Steven Brem, MD, conference chair, and director of neurosurgical oncology.

"Personalized medicine has become something of a buzz work in medicine, but it is true for brain cancer patients,” says  Donald O'Rourke, MD, associate professor of neurosurgery.

Penn neurosurgeons are using improved imaging techniques for "neuronavigation."  This approach provides real-time, 3D views for the surgeon as he operates - allowing for maximum safe resection of the tumor and avoiding normal tissue.  This is particularly crucial in preserving language function and motor skills.

Radiation Therapy:  The Full Spectrum of Options


"Penn has the largest, most advanced proton facility in the world, one of only 10 in the United States.  We also have the unique advantage of having all of our radiation facilities integrated under one roof, "
Robert Lustig, MD, professor of radiation oncology.

Radiation therapy plays a key role in the treatment of most brain cancers.  Penn offers the full range of treatment modalities including one of only 10 proton facilities in the country.  Patients often are unsure of the relative benefits or indications for different kinds of radiation therapy, for example, protons vs. the gamma or cyber knife. 

Radiation therapy treatment decisions for brain tumors are highly individualized and need to be made in the context of multidisciplinary planning.

Briefly stated, protons:
  • Are more precise than conventional radiation therapy and do less damage to normal tissue
  • Reduce side effects both short and long term 
  • Deliver slightly more radiation to the tumor on a dose by dose basis
  • Are effective in treating tumors near sensitive structures such as the spinal cord
  • Can be used to "retreat" some patients with brain cancers
Dr. Lustig noted that Penn is now conducting clinical trials using protons for high-grade glioblastomas, grade III astrocytomas and pituitary adenomas, and will participate in an NCI-RTOG national study on protons for glioblastomas expected to begin soon.

He also noted that many patients encounter insurance issues in trying to get approval for proton therapy, although Medicare pays for most indications.

Stereotactic radiosurgery using the Gamma Knife® is another option for treating brain cancers.  Michelle Alonso-Basanta, MD, PhD, assistant professor of radiation oncology, explained that the original Gamma Knife was not designed to treat cancers, but that advances in technology and technique have made this a useful therapy for some patients with brain cancers.

"As with protons," she says, "we can deliver a very high dose of radiation to the target with little or no exposure of normal tissue to the radiation.  And, as with protons, the decision as to who will benefit from this approach is very individual."

Both stereotactic radiosurgery and protons offer the possibility of retreatment for patients who have undergone a previous course of radiation therapy and whose tumors have recurred.  In the past, these patients were not eligible for additional radiation therapy. 

Targeted Therapies: Changing Cancer Treatment


Penn Medicine has been a leader in immunotherapy research and in developing targeted vaccines for cancer for many years.  Bruce Levine, PhD, facility director, clinical cell and vaccine production facility describes work currently underway that involves activating T-cells, one of the mainstays of the body's defense system, to fight cancers. 

"If I could design T-cells to fight cancer," he says, "they would be potent, have a good memory, be persistent and numerous."

A new approach, developed at Penn, known as CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy promises to be all of those things.  CAR uses a complex process to remove cells from the patients and own body and activate them to attack the tumor.  Penn is now in the process of developing clinical trials that will study the effects of CAR T cell therapy on glioblastomas with the EGRF v III mutation.

That mutation is the focus of work aimed at improving brain cancer treatment using chemotherapy as well.  Arati Desai, MD, MAS, is using bevacizumab (Avastin), a drug that inhibits blood vessel formation, in combination with another drug in patients with recurrent glioblastomas.  Phase II studies have demonstrated improved response rates and survival, although Desai acknowledges that some controversy exists about what those responses mean in terms of actual survival times.

Other clinical trials are aimed at attacking cancer cells from both the inside of the cell and the outside.

These include approaches using
  • Immunotherapy
  • Combinations of drugs that target multiple pathways
  • Drugs that affect the environment around the tumor
  • Drugs that block the critical M Tors pathway
  • Drugs that target factors known to influence prognosis, such IDH1 and MGMT

"There isn't going to be a single drug or agent that is going to work for everyone," says Desai.  "It's not going to be the same answer for every patient."

Cancer Information From a Reliable Source

Thank you for a fantastic 2012. The Focus On Cancer blog is committed to provide people with cancer and their caregivers educated information from a reliable source, the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine. Please subscribe to our blog to get updates about new cancer treatments at Penn, credible information from cancer experts at Penn, and inspiration from other people with cancer.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook
Posted in brain-cancer, proton-therapy | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Radiating Love
    When Neha Vapiwala, MD , and John P. Plastaras, MD, PhD , met during the Perelman School of Medicine’s residency program in radiation oncolo...
  • Megan's Story: From Sarcoma to Survivor
    "When I came to the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) with stage 2 synovial sarcoma, I needed hope and I needed help. Dr. Kristy Weber treat...
  • Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Anytime Crunch
    The orange zest found in this "Anytime Crunch" provides an instant mood lifter as well as flavor elevator for your yogurt, cottage...
  • Positivity and Hope at the Abramson Cancer Center #CSD14
    Cancer Survivor’s Day is a day to celebrate life with and after cancer. Every person diagnosed with cancer is considered a survivor, and tod...
  • Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Springtime Vegetable Slaw
    Warmer weather is a perfect time to eat light, and take advantage of vegetables that pack a healthy punch. This recipe for vegetable slaw...
  • Learn About Skin Cancer Prevention at Penn
    Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center invites you and your loved ones to attend CANPrevent Skin Cancer, a free educational conference for anyone i...
  • The Saracini Family’s Own Miracle on 34th Street
    After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the world became a very different place. For Ellen Saracini and her daughters, the event...
  • Julia’s Story: How a Pair of Genes Changed My Life
    My story began in June 2009 when I found out that the word “genes” can mean more than something you wear on the weekends. The symptoms that ...
  • Cancer Awareness Month for September: Thyroid Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Previvor Week
    September is thyroid and prostate cancer awareness month. Previvor week is also in September Be sure to subscribe to the Focus On Cancer blo...
  • A Toast to Hope and Progress at the 10th Annual Focus on Melanoma Conference
    Christine Wilson, cancer survivor, shares her experiences from the Abramson Cancer Center’s 2013- Focus Melanoma and CAN Prevent Skin Cancer...

Categories

  • Abramson-Cancer-Center
  • acupuncture for cancer symptoms
  • alcohol
  • American Cancer Society
  • amyloidosis
  • amyloidosis clinic
  • Angelina Jolie
  • ASCO
  • Basser
  • Basser-PR
  • Basser-Research-Center
  • bone marrow transplant
  • bone-marrow-donation
  • brain cancer
  • brain tumor
  • brain-cancer
  • BRCA
  • BRCA1
  • BRCA2
  • breast-cancer
  • breastfeeding
  • cancer
  • cancer-prevention
  • cancer-risk
  • Cancer-survivorship
  • cancer-treatment
  • caregivers
  • Carlette
  • CART 19
  • Center-for-personalized-diagnostics
  • cervical-cancer
  • check-your-skin
  • chemoprevention; breast-cancer
  • chemotherapy
  • childhood-cancer
  • children
  • chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia
  • colon-cancer
  • colonoscopy
  • colorectal-cancer
  • colposcopy
  • complementary-therapies
  • conferences
  • Cure Is Within
  • CVS
  • cysts
  • dcis
  • diagnosis
  • e-cigarettes
  • e-connects
  • Emily Ko
  • endometrial-cancer
  • esophageal-cancer
  • events
  • exercise
  • eye
  • Father's Day
  • fertility
  • focus on conference
  • food
  • FORCE
  • gastroenterology
  • gastrointestinal-cancer
  • gene-mutation
  • genetic-counseling
  • genitourinary-cancer
  • geriatric-oncology
  • guest-blog
  • gynecologic
  • hair loss
  • head and neck cancer
  • head-and-neck-cancer
  • HEADSTRONG Foundation
  • Hodgkin-lymphoma
  • holidays
  • Hope for Young Widows
  • HPV
  • immunotherapy
  • integrative-medicine
  • Jane the Writer
  • joan-karnell-cancer-center
  • John Kosteva
  • kale
  • Kamp-Kesem
  • kidney-cancer
  • leukemia
  • liver-cancer
  • livestrong
  • lung cancer
  • lung-cancer
  • lung-cancer-awareness-month
  • lymphedema
  • male-breast-cancer
  • mammograms
  • manicure
  • MDS
  • melanie-gaffney
  • melanoma
  • men's-health
  • mesothelioma
  • mindfulness-program
  • mint
  • Mothers-Day
  • Muir-Torre Syndrome
  • multiple-myeloma
  • myeloma
  • National Lung Screening Trial
  • NETs
  • neuroendocrine-tumor
  • nicotine-addiction
  • non-Hodgkin-lymphoma
  • nursing
  • nutrition
  • obesity
  • Office of Diversity
  • OncoLink
  • oncology careers
  • oral-cancer
  • oral-health
  • ovarian-cancer
  • pain management for cancer
  • pancreatic-cancer
  • patient
  • patient-story
  • pdt
  • peas
  • Penn Medicine Valley Forge
  • Penn proton therapy
  • pet-cancer
  • philanthropy
  • photodynamic-therapy
  • potatoes
  • prevention
  • previvor
  • prostate-cancer
  • proton-therapy
  • PSA-test
  • quality
  • QVC
  • radiation-therapy
  • raloxifene
  • recipes
  • rectal-cancer
  • Reiki
  • relationships
  • Ride to Conquer Cancer
  • risk
  • RTCC
  • Sarcoma
  • screening
  • skin-cancer
  • smoking
  • smoking-cessation
  • Stand-Up-2-Cancer
  • stomach-cancer
  • sunscreens
  • supplements
  • support groups
  • surgery
  • survivor
  • survivorship
  • tamoxifen
  • testicular-cancer
  • thyroid-cancer
  • tobacco
  • tonsil-cancer
  • TORS
  • Twitter
  • uterine-cancer
  • Valentine's Day Chocolate Recipe
  • Valentines Day
  • vitamins
  • Vivian Stringer
  • weight-loss
  • wish-upon-a-wedding
  • women's health
  • world cancer day
  • yoga
  • Young-Friends-of-ACC

Blog Archive

  • ►  2014 (84)
    • ►  July (7)
    • ►  June (15)
    • ►  May (10)
    • ►  April (10)
    • ►  March (23)
    • ►  February (10)
    • ►  January (9)
  • ►  2013 (230)
    • ►  December (16)
    • ►  November (19)
    • ►  October (24)
    • ►  September (19)
    • ►  August (8)
    • ►  July (13)
    • ►  June (14)
    • ►  May (24)
    • ►  April (27)
    • ►  March (26)
    • ►  February (22)
    • ►  January (18)
  • ▼  2012 (186)
    • ▼  December (22)
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: Immunotherapy for ...
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: Stand Up 2 Cancer ...
      • Navigating the Way to Colorectal Screenings at Penn
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: New Brain Cancer T...
      • Happy Holidays From the Abramson Cancer Center
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: New Treatment for ...
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: The Basser Researc...
      • Stay Connected This Holiday Season
      • 11 Tips for Holiday Eating
      • Recovery for Brain Cancer and the New Normal
      • Patient Story: Proton Therapy for Non-Small Cell L...
      • HEADStrong Foundation Feeds Cancer Patients and Fa...
      • Basser Event Promotes BRCA Research at Penn Medicine
      • Basser Center Story at Ovarain Cancer Research Fund
      • More Gift Ideas for Someone with Cancer
      • New Discoveries Toward Brain Cancer Recovery
      • Immunotherapy and Leukemia
      • Gifts for Someone with Cancer
      • Cancer-fighting Recipe: Butternut Squash and Mac C...
      • The Promise and Peril of Genetic Testing
      • Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer
      • Brain Cancer Experts Behind the Scenes at the Abra...
    • ►  November (21)
    • ►  October (20)
    • ►  September (17)
    • ►  August (10)
    • ►  July (16)
    • ►  June (19)
    • ►  May (21)
    • ►  April (21)
    • ►  March (19)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile