At the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, we're using the latest advances to treat brain tumors and offer patients the most successful outcomes possible.
Often considered one of the deadliest forms of cancer, the five-year survival rate for a malignant brain tumor patient is 28 percent, according to the Brain Tumor Society. At Siteman, researchers and medical professionals work every day to offer tumor patients a comprehensive approach and hope where there once was none.
The first signs of cancer often come when the disease has advanced and causes symptoms such as seizures, severe headaches, decreased coordination or facial paralysis. Malignant gliomas are the most common form of primary brain tumors in adults.
“Brain cancer is a complicated medical problem and is often considered to be untreatable,” says Gerald Linette, MD, PhD, medical oncologist at Siteman. “A better understanding of malignant gliomas, as well as advances in surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, have increased the likelihood of a successful outcome.”
New Treatments Show Promise
Surgery and radiation therapy—including Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, available at only one other center in the region, are the mainstays at Siteman when it comes to treating brain tumors.
However, a recent clinical trial demonstrated that a chemotherapy drug, Temodar®, will increase the life expectancy and quality of life in patients living with brain cancer. Temodar increases the effectiveness of radiation when taken during treatment, and it is often tolerated well enough for patients to take the medication at home. A large international study is now open to Siteman patients with the goal of optimizing the dose and schedule of Temodar for treatment of aggressive glioblastoma multiforme brain tumors.
Another advance in the treatment of brain cancer includes the use of a radioactive version of a protein found in yellow Israeli scorpion venom. Once injected, the venom essentially attaches to the cancer cells and kills them, without harming surrounding healthy cells.
Brain cancer specialists at Siteman—including oncologists, neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and neuropathologists—take these advanced treatment approaches one step further by holding weekly conferences as a team to discuss patient cases.
“We provide a comprehensive approach to care,” says Dr. Linette. “Basic research and clinical advances are constantly being reported in the area of brain cancer, and by coming together we ensure that all options are explored and the best treatment plan is developed for each patient.”
For a referral to a cancer specialist at the Siteman Cancer Center, call 314-TOP-DOCS (314-867-3627) or toll-free 866-867-3627.