Every year, more than 190,000 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with either a primary or metastatic brain tumor; 3,400 of these are children with brain and spinal cord tumors. Brain tumors now represent the leading cause of death from childhood cancer, and are the second leading cause of cancer death in young adults between the ages of 20 and 39.
Advocates know it is time for more aggressive and creative approaches to brain tumor research and therapy. At the core of their recommendations is the principle of collaboration among institutions and across disciplines.
At University Hospitals, this collaborative approach to medical care is taking place every day and making a difference in the lives of patients and families facing a cancer diagnosis. The focal point of this collaborative effort is the Jennifer Ferchill Brain Tumor Center. Established in July 2007, the Ferchill Center brings together expertise in diagnostics (both imaging and pathology), neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, neurology and neuropsychology.
This team is led by internationally recognized experts, including Alan Cohen, MD, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Surgeon-in-Chief and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, and one of the world’s leaders in minimally-invasive brain surgery. The Center is attracting top physician-scientists to this team, including neuro-oncologist Duncan Stearns, MD, the new Director of Pediatric Neuro- Oncology at UH Rainbow. Rounding out the team is neurologist Deborah Gold, MD, who is establishing a multidisciplinary clinic for children with neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder which predisposes children to develop tumors of the brain and spinal cord.
Dr. Stearns has established a recognized research program investigating the basic biology of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant childhood brain tumor, and is the recipient of Young Investigator Awards from The Hyundai Foundation and Alex’s Lemonade Stand, two national foundations supporting research in childhood cancer. Dr. Stearns has devoted his career to developing new approaches to treat brain tumors and will oversee efforts to expand translational research and clinical programs at UH Rainbow.
“We’re expanding in the areas of basic research, in which I’m actively involved, and pulling in newer treatments and clinical trials to provide improvements in clinical care,” Dr. Stearns said, adding that his vision for the future of the Ferchill Center includes providing early phase clinical trials within the next two to four years for pediatric patients with brain tumors.
The Ferchill Center benefits from alignment with the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, one of the nation’s top comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI oversees a large cooperative group of more than 240 hospitals – the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) – that are focused on developing new treatments for children with brain tumors. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC) is a second NCI-sponsored organization that has clinical trials specifically designed for children with brain tumors. The team at UH Rainbow-UH Seidman Cancer Center works closely with clinical investigators in the PBTC and COG to ensure access to the clinical trials sponsored by either group.
Through the COG member institutions, novel therapies are being evaluated every day and creating a great deal of excitement regarding the potential for improved survival and cure, including less traumatic, minimally invasive surgeries, gene therapy and therapy that enhances the ability of the body’s immune system to kill tumor cells, as well as biologically-based therapies targeting specific molecules that are active in brain tumor cells.