| Despite significant advances in cancer research and | | | | tumor vaccines, and GBM-specific molecular pathway |
| treatment, one form of cancer - brain tumors - | | | | vaccines are also being considered. The vaccine |
| remain particularly feared, and for good reason. | | | | approach holds challenges that need to be evaluated |
| Because of their location, brain tumors can severely | | | | against other treatment options that may require |
| impact an individual's personality, memories and basic | | | | crucial patient choices, but they are continuing to |
| motor skills, robbing the patient of their very being. | | | | emerge as an area of significant promise. Stereotactic |
| The impact on family and friends is felt greatly, as | | | | Radiosurgery/Radiotherapy There is growing usage |
| their loved one may be "lost" to them even earlier | | | | of stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy among |
| than feared. While there are more than 120 types of | | | | neurosurgeons. The tools, used for the non-invasive |
| brain tumors, for the most common and serious adult | | | | treatment of tumors and other brain, head, spine and |
| tumors, Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the chances | | | | neck conditions, use sophisticated mechanical |
| of living 5 years is less than 3%. Most patients will live | | | | systems and image-guided technology to treat |
| no more than a year or two despite aggressive | | | | tumors, using high, targeted doses of radiation (in a |
| therapy. However, few maladies manage to both | | | | single session) to attack the tumor and minimizing |
| simultaneously confound researchers in their mystery, | | | | contact with healthy tissue. The image guidance |
| yet hold such promise for the cure and management | | | | systems direct the radiation to the tumor; some |
| as prominently as brain tumors. There is strong belief | | | | systems shape the radiation beam to map to the |
| that some significant breakthroughs in brain tumor | | | | exact shape of the tumor, and software can help |
| treatment may only be 4-6 years away. | | | | direct the ideal access points to the tumor. Dual |
| Complementing traditional chemotherapeutic and | | | | Agent Drug Therapies Some of the field's leading |
| surgical approaches, four emerging breakthroughs are | | | | researchers have concluded that traditional treatment |
| discussed here which are rapidly transforming the | | | | for many brain tumors has started with a faulty |
| treatment of brain tumors and related conditions. | | | | premise; namely, that interventions for brain tumors |
| Gene Therapy Gene therapy approaches involve the | | | | were simply a palliative effort designed to decrease |
| insertion of genes into growing brain tumors, | | | | patient discomfort and increase stabilization. The |
| rendering them more sensitive to some | | | | conclusion is that while these therapies have shown |
| chemotherapeutic agents that are relatively non-toxic | | | | some success on their own, when multiple |
| to the rest of the body. Some promising experiments | | | | therapeutic agents are combined, (an approach more |
| have demonstrated that with insertion of genes into | | | | commonly used with cancers not as fatal) an |
| animal brain tumor cells and administration of | | | | increasing number of brain tumor patients are seeing |
| chemotherapy, complete destruction of the tumor | | | | increases in survival. Also, newer drugs are showing |
| may be possible without spread of the tumor. Other | | | | the ability to block the growth of tumors by |
| approaches in gene therapy include substitution of | | | | attempting to interfere with their proteins that |
| abnormal genes for normal genes, the repair of | | | | control tumor growth. And other, specialized |
| abnormal genes via selective reverse mutation, and | | | | treatment regimens are being formulated for patients |
| gene regulation (i.e., altering the instructions within a | | | | whose tumors are shown to grow at an accelerated |
| gene to "turn on or off"). Vaccines One area showing | | | | rate compared with typical tumors. These are but |
| substantial promise in brain tumor treatment is based | | | | four of the emerging approaches where we may |
| on an immunotherapeutic approach; that is, using a | | | | continue to see major breakthroughs in treatment or |
| patient's immune system as an instrument for cancer | | | | management of brain tumors. The hope in all these |
| therapy. This approach is premised on a body's | | | | courses is that ultimately, brain tumors may in some |
| immune response toward cells bearing tumor markers | | | | cases be curable or at least achieve status as a |
| or antigens. One major focus area has been "active | | | | manageable disease, as with many other serious and |
| immunotherapy", described as the administration of | | | | chronic conditions such as diabetes. |
| the tumor antigenic material to help "vaccinate" a | | | | Mike Tancredi provides services for a non profit |
| patient against their own tumor. Other vaccine | | | | organization dedicated to raising and distributing funds |
| approaches, including Dendritic cell-based vaccines, | | | | for the continued research into brain tumors. |
| Cytokine immunogene therapy, Bacterial and viral | | | | |