Seattle researchers team up to fight brain cancer – Dr. Greg Foltz
While there has been great progress in the fight against many common cancers, progress against brain cancers, some of the deadliest cancers known, has been agonizingly slow.
Over the past 25 years, for example, only three new drug have been approved for the treatment of brain cancers, and survival rates remain essentially the same as they were a century ago.
In this column, Dr. Greg Foltz, a neurosurgeon at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute, writes about the challenges brain cancers pose, about efforts by Seattle researchers to find new treatments, and about this weekend’s Annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk.
Dr. Greg Foltz
Dr. Foltz writes:
While a small group of scientists and doctors are working hard toward a cure, the lack of funding and awareness for the disease, coupled with the limited survival of patients, has left brain cancer as an “orphaned” disease.
Research for a Cure: Local doctors and scientists collaborate to develop new treatments for brain cancer patients
By Dr. Greg Foltz
Brain cancer is the most malignant form of cancer known to humankind. Despite significant advances in the research and treatment of more common cancers, brain cancer survival rates, measured in terms of median survival, have essentially remained unchanged over the past 100 years.
Patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive type of primary brain cancer, face a particularly bleak future.
With survival measured in just one to two years, the majority of these patients will tell you that their lives become focused on a simple equation of time and hope.
With each month they continue to live, there is renewed hope for a medical breakthrough, an effective treatment or perhaps even a potential cure.
Unfortunately, the odds are against them as funding for brain cancer research is extremely limited. Only three new treatments have been approved for brain cancer in the past 25 years – one of which is the recently FDA approved Avastin.
None of these treatments extend median survival by more than a few months.
While a small group of scientists and doctors are working hard toward a cure, the lack of funding and awareness for the disease, coupled with the limited survival of patients, has left brain cancer as an “orphaned” disease.
For the 1200 patients in the Pacific Northwest newly diagnosed each year with brain cancer, this reality is especially devastating.
They have grown accustomed to reading about the latest medical and scientific breakthroughs from our world-class research institutions.
Seattle is now established as a global leader in healthcare. Yet, until recently, few clinical trials or advanced treatment options have been available for brain cancer. These patients expect more. They deserve more.
Recent developments and partnerships that have sprouted in the Pacific Northwest’s biotechnology community are providing some hope for new advancements.
Last year, the Swedish Neuroscience Institute opened the Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment (CABTT) as a regional hub for community-based brain tumor clinics.
The opening of CABTT put in motion a network of doctors, researchers and scientists working toward a common goal – to discover more effective treatments for brain cancer.
Other local institutions and research groups such as the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Institute of Systems Biology, Accium Biosciences and Providence Regional Medical Center Everett are working closely with CABTT in innovative ways such as sharing tissue samples, research findings and methods.
This collaborative approach is leading to new scientific advances with potential impact on patient care in the near term.
Doctors can now use genomic profiling (the individualized study of a patient’s tumor to determine which genes are being expressed) to predict why some patients respond to standard treatments while others do not.
This could potentially allow physicians to “customize” their patients’ treatments, bringing more advanced treatments or clinical trials into play sooner.
With continued research and increased clinical trials, transforming brain cancer from a rapidly fatal disease to one with a meaningful possibility for long term survival is within our grasp.
The effort to raise awareness and support for brain cancer research has continued to gain momentum locally as the community gears up for the 2nd Annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk on May 30th.
Initially started by a volunteer who lost a close friend to brain cancer, the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk is an annual event that provides an opportunity for our community to take a stand against this deadly disease.
Last year 550 participants raised $120,000 for brain cancer research and the hope is that this year, the Walk will double in size and fundraising. To register or donate to this years event, please visit www.braincancerwalk.org.
While a good start, these efforts represent only an initial step toward our common goal. For our patients, hope can be something that is sometimes difficult to grasp.
But when they see increased community activism and awareness lead to funding for new research, hope does not seem quite so far out of reach.
Medical research and clinical trials are essential in the fight against brain cancer and it is only through increased awareness and doctor/scientist collaboration that treatment advances, and someday a cure, is possible.
About the Author
Greg Foltz, M.D., is a neurosurgeon at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle, Wash., surgical director of the Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment and founder of the Pacific Northwest Brain Tumor Alliance.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photograph of Dr. Foltz courtesy of Swedish Medical Center
PET scans courtesy of the National Cancer Institute.
To learn more:
- Read our article on the new Swedish Neuroscience Institute.
- Visit the Swedish Neuroscience Institute.
- Visit the Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment.
- Visit the Pacific Northwest Brain Tumor Alliance.
- Visit the Brain Cancer Walk Web site.
- Visit the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus page on brain cancer.
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