Is This Realistic for the Average Person Diagnosed with Brain Cancer

This compilation of experts was compared to a tumor board meeting - I think that's a bit of a stretch considering that it included doctors from 6 different institutions. What I would't have given for my father to have had access to such a juggernaut of info. This was not the case my friends - far from it for the average american. We were able to eventually get treatment from Duke, unboubtedly a top-notch brain cancer spot. That was after a number of bad experiences locally. To have multi-institutional input from the jump may not have saved my father but I would imagine it would have eased our minds a bit in the early days of his diagnosis.

Excerpt From:

The story behind Kennedy's brain surgery

By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN, M.D.

C.2008 NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE


What is known is that a few days after Kennedy learned he had a malignant brain tumor in the left parietal lobe, he invited a group of national experts to discuss his case.
The meeting on May 30 was extraordinary in at least two ways.

One was the ability of a powerful patient — in this case, a scion of a legendary political family and the chairman of the Senate’s health committee — to summon noted consultants to learn about the latest therapy and research findings.

The second was his efficiency in quickly convening more than a dozen experts from at least six academic centers. Some flew to Boston. Others participated by telephone after receiving pertinent test results and other medical records.

Why our body resists cancer-killing viruses

Friday, 13 June , 2008, 12:32

Washington: Viruses designed to treat incurable brain tumours like glioblastoma were stumped by how the immune system eliminated them at the outset. Now an animal study conducted by Ohio State University researchers helps explain why this happened, a development that could help improve therapy for brain cancer patients. The study shows how viruses that destroy the tumour cells also cause them to throw up proteins stimulating growth of new tumour blood vessels. These vessels transport immune cells that eradicate the viruses, stimulating tumour re-growth. “This study points to an important side-effect of oncolytic viral therapy that may limit its efficacy,” said Balveen Kaur, who was part of the research team. “We can now work on designing a combination therapy that will inhibit this effect and enhance the action of the viral therapy.” The findings of the study have been published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Therapy.

Interactive Brain Tour

The brain is a highly specialized organ. Different sections control very specific functions. The location of tumors in the brain is one of the factors that determines how a brain tumor affects an individual's functioning and what symptoms the tumor causes.

Tears, shock over Edward M Kennedy's brain cancer diagnosis

Washington - Stunned silence swept Tuesday across the US Congress, observers said.

One colleague wept.

Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, left-wing icon and champion of the rights of workers and the poor, had been diagnosed with brain cancer.

The announcement sent shockwaves throughout Washington's political establishment, with Republican and Democratic leaders alike paying tribute to his achievements and significance in US political life.

Posted May 21st, 2008 by Mohit Joshi

Unlocking Mysteries Of Brain Cancer, Stroke

ScienceDaily (2008-04-04) -- New studies will delve into some of the crucial issues surrounding death by brain tumors and stroke. The research will aim to find links between chemical signals in the brain and the reasons why brain tumors or strokes become fatal.

World-First Stem Cell Screening Facility To Target Brain Tumours, Australia

"This is the first time researchers will be able to isolate, enumerate and purify tumour stem cells with such high levels of efficiency," Professor Bartlett said.

Brain Tumor Gene Link Found

LONDON, Feb. 21, 2008--CANCER Research UK funded Scientists have discovered a mutation in a DNA repair gene which may increase the risk of developing meningioma, a rare type of brain tumor, according to new research published in the latest edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Cancer stem cells may be at the root of brain tumors

Stem cells — popularly known as a source of biological rejuvenation — may play harmful roles in the body, specifically in the growth and spread of cancer. Amongst the wildly dividing cells of a tumor, scientists have located cancer stem cells.

Unraveling Brain Tumors -- Molecular Biologists Devise Strategy To Starve Brain Tumors

ScienceDaily () -- Brain tumor researchers have found that brain tumors arise from cancer stem cells living within tiny protective areas formed by blood vessels in the brain. Killing those cells is a promising strategy to eliminate tumors and prevents them from re-growing. The researchers have found that drugs that block new blood vessel formation can destroy the protected areas and stop cancer from developing.

Duke, UNC Researchers Target ‘Achilles Heel’ in Brain Tumors

By Duke University News Service

Posted: Today at 7:10 a.m.

Editor’s note: This article is part of WRAL Local Tech Wire’s efforts to highlight research at universities across the Carolinas and Georgia.

DURHAM - Researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill are exploiting an "Achilles Heel" of brain tumors that may selectively kill tumor cells while sparing surrounding brain tissue.