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Dr Jo: Brain cancer vaccine

Treating brain cancer typically requires surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But one Bay Area patient is choosing something different: an experimental cancer vaccine that he hopes will save his life. Source Fox August

Author: ItalianGBMGroup
Keywords: vaccine glioblastoma glioma brain
Added: August 30, 2008

Doctors Take Innovative Approach To Brain Cancer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) ― Brain cancer is not one of the common cancers, but when someone has it, it's bad. There are few treatments and life expectancy with the disease is relatively short. "This is a disease which is a very bad disease to have," Dr. Edward Arenson told CBS4. In the last 15 years, doctors have had few choices when it comes to treating brain cancer. Arenson says there are one or two treatments that are considered standard and then many oncologists feel they've run out of options. The Brain Tumor Program at Swedish Medical Center is taking a new approach to treating brain cancer patients. "We take all the knowledge and all the things that have shown any benefit whatsoever and consider them all fair-game with each individual patient. And we try to individualize the therapy the best we can until we find the right therapy for our given patient," Arenson explained. It's that individualized treatment that worked for Cynthia Kuntz. Kuntz was faced with a diagnosis of Glioblastoma 10 years ago. "It was really scary," Kuntz told CBS4. Arenson put Kuntz on a treatment experimental in brain cancer treatment. Photo-dynamic therapy is a treatment in which doctors inject you with a chemical that gets absorbed into every cell in the body. It stays days longer in cancer cells and during that window of time, doctors use light to activate the chemical - killing the tumor cells. Arenson also used powerful chemotherapy drugs in Kuntz. "She's suffered side effects that are long lasting, but I think she would tell you it was worth it," Arenson said. Now, 7 years later, Kuntz lives a life full of children and grandchildren. She is a rare success story in the battle against a deadly disease. "Awesome and blessed - that's what I say about my life, every single day," Kuntz said. Source August 2008

Author: ItalianGBMGroup
Keywords: glioblastoma Photo-dynamic glioma cancro cervello
Added: August 30, 2008

Scorpion venom to 'light up' cancer cells

SEATTLE -- A local doctor is "lighting up" cancer cells hiding in the body. He calls it "tumor painting".The source of his paint? The venom of scorpions.The vial of blue liquid spent millions of years evolving before it reached Dr. Jim Olson's lab. "They are "Deathstalker" scorpions."We let them do the work for us," Olson said.In their venom, a harmless molecule that can find tumors in humans. "For most tumors, there's really difficult regions where the tumor looks just like regular brain; it's the same color same consistency," Olson said.Olson's lab at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center cooked up a cancer finding cocktail they call tumor paint. Tumor paint sticks to cancer cells, and under a special light, it glows, telling surgeons exactly where healthy brain stops and the tumor begins. It's 500 times better than an MRI."This would be a quantum leap for kids who have brain cancer (and) for adults who have any number of other kinds cancer," Olson said.Maggie Dice is one of those children. The tumor paint may not be available for years. But Maggie's family wants to make sure it's available if she or anyone needs it. So, when no one would give Olson a research grant, saying the idea of "tumor paint" was too speculative, they stepped in."Everywhere we can, we try to put money his way," said Maggie's mom Kirsty Dice. "So he can focus on the research and not have to go out and find the money."Parents of Olson's patients raised millions."We're a big wonderful family," Olson said. And they the hope what's in that blue vial, millions of years, and millions of dollars in the making, pays off as powerful cancer fighter for many families.Source KOONEWS.Com August 2008

Author: ItalianGBMGroup
Keywords: glioblastoma glioma venom scorpion cancer brain tumor
Added: August 9, 2008

Awake patient reads aloud during brain surgery

Mather-Licht had a brain tumor, known as a glioma, situated above his left ear. Not only was it causing severe headaches, which he had attributed to everyday stress, but the tumor was pressing on the area of the brain that controls the ability to read and speak. It needed to come out.Because of his age, Mather-Licht's doctors suspected that his tumor was benign. But they needed a biopsy to make sure, and the tumor needed to come out. Because the tumor was located in a very delicate area of the brain, his surgeon recommended a procedure called "awake craniotomy with mapping." It's much like standard brain surgery, with one critical difference: The patient is awake.The brain is a map, said Mather-Licht's neurosurgeon, Dr. Aaron Cohen of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Different areas help us read, walk, talk, even cry and smile. So if a tumor is located in a crucial part of the brain, as in this case, doctors perform surgery on patients who are awake in order to see what functions the surgeon may be affecting while eradicating the tumor. CNN was allowed to be present during the surgery. During the procedure Mather-Licht, was heavily sedated but remained conscious so Cohen could talk to him while mapping the brain's sensors. Once Mather-Licht's skull cap -- a large chunk of bone from his head -- was removed, he remained alert even though his brain was fully exposed. By communicating with the patient as he gently touched the brain with electrical probes, Cohen could tell what sections were sensitive and needed to be avoided. Mather-Licht remained attentive through the procedure, actually reading a book by Kurt Vonnegut aloud. If Cohen pressed on a sensitive region, Mather-Licht's reading was affected, which let the neurosurgeon know it was an area to avoid.The mapping alone took a couple of hours. Based on the information entered into a computer during mapping, the "hot spots" or risky areas, were displayed on a monitor. Once mapping was complete, Cohen took a paper list of groups of letters that represented basic brain functions, such as expression and movement. With a pair of scissors, a nurse cut out the letters that corresponded to Mather-Licht's "hot spots." Cohen then placed the lettered pieces of paper directly on Mather-Licht's brain, distinctly identifying the areas of risk. Once those were marked, he opened the brain's outer membrane and, layer by layer, removed the tumor. Mather-Licht felt no pain -- the brain itself has no pain receptors.The entire procedure lasted about five hours. After the skull fragment was put back in place, Mather-Licht was wheeled into his hospital room, still conscious, but exhausted.It took Mather-Licht about a week and a half to recover. Most patients stay only a few days in the hospital. But because his tumor was relatively large, his recovery took longer. At first he had difficulty speaking, mini-seizures and trouble reading. Little by little, as his brain healed, he regained all his functions. And the best news was that his tumor was benign, which meant he wouldn't need chemotherapy or radiation.Source CNN, Aug, 2008

Author: ItalianGBMGroup
Keywords: glioblastoma awake surgery glioma brain tumor craniotomy
Added: August 3, 2008

Awake patient reads aloud during brain surgery

Mather-Licht had a brain tumor, known as a glioma, situated above his left ear. Not only was it causing severe headaches, which he had attributed to everyday stress, but the tumor was pressing on the area of the brain that controls the ability to read and speak. It needed to come out.Because of his age, Mather-Licht's doctors suspected that his tumor was benign. But they needed a biopsy to make sure, and the tumor needed to come out. Because the tumor was located in a very delicate area of the brain, his surgeon recommended a procedure called "awake craniotomy with mapping." It's much like standard brain surgery, with one critical difference: The patient is awake.The brain is a map, said Mather-Licht's neurosurgeon, Dr. Aaron Cohen of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Different areas help us read, walk, talk, even cry and smile. So if a tumor is located in a crucial part of the brain, as in this case, doctors perform surgery on patients who are awake in order to see what functions the surgeon may be affecting while eradicating the tumor. CNN was allowed to be present during the surgery. During the procedure Mather-Licht, was heavily sedated but remained conscious so Cohen could talk to him while mapping the brain's sensors. Once Mather-Licht's skull cap -- a large chunk of bone from his head -- was removed, he remained alert even though his brain was fully exposed. By communicating with the patient as he gently touched the brain with electrical probes, Cohen could tell what sections were sensitive and needed to be avoided. Mather-Licht remained attentive through the procedure, actually reading a book by Kurt Vonnegut aloud. If Cohen pressed on a sensitive region, Mather-Licht's reading was affected, which let the neurosurgeon know it was an area to avoid.The mapping alone took a couple of hours. Based on the information entered into a computer during mapping, the "hot spots" or risky areas, were displayed on a monitor. Once mapping was complete, Cohen took a paper list of groups of letters that represented basic brain functions, such as expression and movement. With a pair of scissors, a nurse cut out the letters that corresponded to Mather-Licht's "hot spots." Cohen then placed the lettered pieces of paper directly on Mather-Licht's brain, distinctly identifying the areas of risk. Once those were marked, he opened the brain's outer membrane and, layer by layer, removed the tumor. Mather-Licht felt no pain -- the brain itself has no pain receptors.The entire procedure lasted about five hours. After the skull fragment was put back in place, Mather-Licht was wheeled into his hospital room, still conscious, but exhausted.It took Mather-Licht about a week and a half to recover. Most patients stay only a few days in the hospital. But because his tumor was relatively large, his recovery took longer. At first he had difficulty speaking, mini-seizures and trouble reading. Little by little, as his brain healed, he regained all his functions. And the best news was that his tumor was benign, which meant he wouldn't need chemotherapy or radiation.Source CNN, Aug, 2008

Author: ItalianGBMGroup
Keywords: glioblastoma awake surgery glioma brain tumor craniotomy
Added: August 3, 2008

Awake patient reads aloud during brain surgery

Mather-Licht had a brain tumor, known as a glioma, situated above his left ear. Not only was it causing severe headaches, which he had attributed to everyday stress, but the tumor was pressing on the area of the brain that controls the ability to read and speak. It needed to come out.Because of his age, Mather-Licht's doctors suspected that his tumor was benign. But they needed a biopsy to make sure, and the tumor needed to come out. Because the tumor was located in a very delicate area of the brain, his surgeon recommended a procedure called "awake craniotomy with mapping." It's much like standard brain surgery, with one critical difference: The patient is awake.The brain is a map, said Mather-Licht's neurosurgeon, Dr. Aaron Cohen of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Different areas help us read, walk, talk, even cry and smile. So if a tumor is located in a crucial part of the brain, as in this case, doctors perform surgery on patients who are awake in order to see what functions the surgeon may be affecting while eradicating the tumor. CNN was allowed to be present during the surgery. During the procedure Mather-Licht, was heavily sedated but remained conscious so Cohen could talk to him while mapping the brain's sensors. Once Mather-Licht's skull cap -- a large chunk of bone from his head -- was removed, he remained alert even though his brain was fully exposed. By communicating with the patient as he gently touched the brain with electrical probes, Cohen could tell what sections were sensitive and needed to be avoided. Mather-Licht remained attentive through the procedure, actually reading a book by Kurt Vonnegut aloud. If Cohen pressed on a sensitive region, Mather-Licht's reading was affected, which let the neurosurgeon know it was an area to avoid.The mapping alone took a couple of hours. Based on the information entered into a computer during mapping, the "hot spots" or risky areas, were displayed on a monitor. Once mapping was complete, Cohen took a paper list of groups of letters that represented basic brain functions, such as expression and movement. With a pair of scissors, a nurse cut out the letters that corresponded to Mather-Licht's "hot spots." Cohen then placed the lettered pieces of paper directly on Mather-Licht's brain, distinctly identifying the areas of risk. Once those were marked, he opened the brain's outer membrane and, layer by layer, removed the tumor. Mather-Licht felt no pain -- the brain itself has no pain receptors.The entire procedure lasted about five hours. After the skull fragment was put back in place, Mather-Licht was wheeled into his hospital room, still conscious, but exhausted.It took Mather-Licht about a week and a half to recover. Most patients stay only a few days in the hospital. But because his tumor was relatively large, his recovery took longer. At first he had difficulty speaking, mini-seizures and trouble reading. Little by little, as his brain healed, he regained all his functions. And the best news was that his tumor was benign, which meant he wouldn't need chemotherapy or radiation.Source CNN, Aug, 2008

Author: ItalianGBMGroup
Keywords: glioblastoma awake surgery glioma brain tumor craniotomy
Added: August 3, 2008

Awake patient reads aloud during brain surgery

Mather-Licht had a brain tumor, known as a glioma, situated above his left ear. Not only was it causing severe headaches, which he had attributed to everyday stress, but the tumor was pressing on the area of the brain that controls the ability to read and speak. It needed to come out.Because of his age, Mather-Licht's doctors suspected that his tumor was benign. But they needed a biopsy to make sure, and the tumor needed to come out. Because the tumor was located in a very delicate area of the brain, his surgeon recommended a procedure called "awake craniotomy with mapping." It's much like standard brain surgery, with one critical difference: The patient is awake.The brain is a map, said Mather-Licht's neurosurgeon, Dr. Aaron Cohen of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Different areas help us read, walk, talk, even cry and smile. So if a tumor is located in a crucial part of the brain, as in this case, doctors perform surgery on patients who are awake in order to see what functions the surgeon may be affecting while eradicating the tumor. CNN was allowed to be present during the surgery. During the procedure Mather-Licht, was heavily sedated but remained conscious so Cohen could talk to him while mapping the brain's sensors. Once Mather-Licht's skull cap -- a large chunk of bone from his head -- was removed, he remained alert even though his brain was fully exposed. By communicating with the patient as he gently touched the brain with electrical probes, Cohen could tell what sections were sensitive and needed to be avoided. Mather-Licht remained attentive through the procedure, actually reading a book by Kurt Vonnegut aloud. If Cohen pressed on a sensitive region, Mather-Licht's reading was affected, which let the neurosurgeon know it was an area to avoid.The mapping alone took a couple of hours. Based on the information entered into a computer during mapping, the "hot spots" or risky areas, were displayed on a monitor. Once mapping was complete, Cohen took a paper list of groups of letters that represented basic brain functions, such as expression and movement. With a pair of scissors, a nurse cut out the letters that corresponded to Mather-Licht's "hot spots." Cohen then placed the lettered pieces of paper directly on Mather-Licht's brain, distinctly identifying the areas of risk. Once those were marked, he opened the brain's outer membrane and, layer by layer, removed the tumor. Mather-Licht felt no pain -- the brain itself has no pain receptors.The entire procedure lasted about five hours. After the skull fragment was put back in place, Mather-Licht was wheeled into his hospital room, still conscious, but exhausted.It took Mather-Licht about a week and a half to recover. Most patients stay only a few days in the hospital. But because his tumor was relatively large, his recovery took longer. At first he had difficulty speaking, mini-seizures and trouble reading. Little by little, as his brain healed, he regained all his functions. And the best news was that his tumor was benign, which meant he wouldn't need chemotherapy or radiation.Source CNN, Aug, 2008

Author: ItalianGBMGroup
Keywords: glioblastoma awake surgery glioma brain tumor craniotomy
Added: August 3, 2008

The Cancer Genome Atlas reports first results of comprehensi
The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network, a collaborative effort funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today reported the first results of its large-scale, comprehensive study of the most common form of brain cancer, glioblastoma (GBM
http://digg.com/general_sciences/The_Cancer_Genome_Atlas_reports_first_results_of_comprehensi

Massive Cancer Gene Search Finds Potential New Targets In Br
An array of broken, missing, and overactive genes -- some implicated for the first time -- have been identified in a genetic survey of glioblastoma, the most common and deadly form of adult brain cancer, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, together with their collaborating investigators at
http://digg.com/environment/Massive_Cancer_Gene_Search_Finds_Potential_New_Targets_In_Br

Vaccine Studies Offer Hope for Brain Cancer Patients
Results from two pioneering studies led by researchers from Duke University Medical Center offer hope to patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the more common and deadliest types of brain tumors. Both studies involve the use of vaccines in conjunction with chemotherapy to try to boost the body’s immune response against the cancers
http://digg.com/health/Vaccine_Studies_Offer_Hope_for_Brain_Cancer_Patients

Rock the Mike: The Freeman Brainefit
Our very good friend Mike Freeman was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme, which is a very serious brain tumor and the most aggressive of its kind. You might know Mike as Flying Dog’s brewery manager and the lead man for some of Denver’s favorite local bands, Gina Go Faster and Start Tomorrow.
http://digg.com/health/Rock_the_Mike_The_Freeman_Brainefit

Billion-Dollar Cancer Mapping Project Steps Forward
Leaders of an ambitious effort to find all common mutations in human cancers delivered their first results to a U.S. government panel last week along with a plain message: Their $100 million pilot is paying off. A sweeping search for mutations in one cancer--glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor--has verified known genes and turned up a few new ones.
http://digg.com/general_sciences/Billion_Dollar_Cancer_Mapping_Project_Steps_Forward

Cancer-killing Viruses Influence Tumor Blood-vessel Growth
Viruses genetically designed to kill cancer cells offer a promising strategy for treating incurable brain tumors such as glioblastoma, but the body's natural defenses often eliminate the viruses before they can eliminate the tumor.
http://digg.com/health/Cancer_killing_Viruses_Influence_Tumor_Blood_vessel_Growth

Human cytomegalovirus and glioblastoma
Brain cancer specialists at Duke University have presented clinical trial results on a vaccine that attacks brain tumors. They claim that when used with standard cancer treatment the vaccine more than doubled the survival time of patients who received it.The Duke U. tumor center is where Sen. Edward Kennedy was operated on.
http://digg.com/general_sciences/Human_cytomegalovirus_and_glioblastoma

Vaccine doubles brain cancer survival time
A vaccine that more than doubles the survival time of patients with the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer has been developed by scientists.Early results from clinical trials suggest patients who received the vaccine lived for nearly three years after being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme.
http://digg.com/health/Vaccine_doubles_brain_cancer_survival_time

New strategy could help beat tenacious brain tumours
Cancer experts have suggested a new way to tackle particularly tenacious brain tumours known as glioblastomas. Attacking a common virus often found in these cancers may halt their growth, say researchers.
http://digg.com/health/New_strategy_could_help_beat_tenacious_brain_tumours

Did a Herpes Virus Cause Ted Kennedy's Brain Tumor?
If Ted Kennedy's cancerous lesion is a glioblastoma multiforme, the most common kind of brain tumor, it may have been caused by a virus from the herpes family.
http://digg.com/politics/Did_a_Herpes_Virus_Cause_Ted_Kennedy_s_Brain_Tumor