Latest News

• A Prospective, Cohort Study of SITOIGANAP to Treat Glioblastoma When Given in Combination With Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/Cyclophosphamide/Bevacizumab/Nivolumab or Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/Cyclophosphamide/Bevacizumab/Pembrolizumab in Patients Who Failed Prior Treatment With Surgical Resection, Radiation, and Temozolomide        

   This is remarkable results for a vaccine therapy.  This is the first reported results of a treatment used for brain tumors under the Right To Try law.   They treated patients with recurrent Glioblastoma who historically lived an average of 8 months.  With this treatment, average survival was 19.6 months, with 25% of patients alive at the end of the trial at about the 40 month mark.   They are tweaking the protocol to make it work even better. There was minimal side effects.     

  
  
• SonALAsense Forges Ahead with First Patient Dosing for Devastating Childhood Brain Cancer        

   This new type of treatment - Sonodynamic therapy - is one of my favorites as it is so elegant.  A dye is given to the patient, and the dye accumulates mostly in the tumor cells.  Then they apply MRI guided focused ultrasound to the area of the tumor. The focused ultrasound excites the dye molecules which kills the tumor cells and leaves the normal cells unharmed. This is not invasive - the focused ultrasound it applied using a helmet like device.  The trial is now open for DIPG as well as Glioblastoma. Although we have no results yet, it is worth considering. Theoretically it harms only tumor cells, and can be repeated as often as needed.  

  
  
• Brain Tumor Guide For The Newly Diagnosed - new Kindle Edition available!        

   I usually write these books on my own and have an editor format them and convert my writing to real English.  This time I had a lot of help:   Channah Piscioneri  and Linda Singer  did most of the work this time. A huge thanks to them. I couldn't have done it without them. 

  
  
• New Radiation Therapy Delays Brain Cancer Regrowth, Protects Healthy Tissue        

   Gamma Tile is FDA approved and available at many other major hospitals. If you are about to have a surgery for a malignant brain tumor - primary or metastatic, it is worth asking your doctor about it.

  
  
• Cancer Chomp (a brain tumor event)        

   This is from our good friends at the University of Florida Brain Tumor Center! Sounds like fun!