Burning Away Brain Tumors

FRESNO, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- More than 69-thousand Americans are diagnosed with a brain tumor every year. Many of them will need an aggressive treatment plan that includes major surgery to remove the tumor. But now there's an easier and safer way to get rid of these lesions - doctors are burning brain tumors.

Three years ago, doctors told Meghan Schultz she had a brain tumor. Submit

"I was scared to death." Meghan Schultz told Ivanhoe.

The eighth-grade teacher was pregnant with her son when she got the news.

"What am I going to do? I have a baby, but I have a brain tumor in my head!" Schultz said.

After baby Liam was born - Meghan had major brain surgery -doctors cut into her skull to remove her tumor. A year later - the tumor came back - and Cleveland clinic surgeons told Meghan about a new option.

Submit"I think it's the next big thing in brain tumor surgery." Gene Barnett, M.D., Neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic told Ivanhoe.

Instead of cutting - doctors use heat to destroy the tumor. They heat a thin laser probe-up to 130 degrees-then insert it through a tiny hole and essentially burn the tumor.

"It works by heating the tissue around it to the point where it cooks, just like you're cooking a hardboiled egg." Dr. Barnett explained.

Traditional surgery requires a three-inch incision, two to four days in the hospital and one to two months of recovery. With the laser procedure - it's a three-quarter inch incision, one day in the hospital, and one to two week recovery. Submit

Five weeks after her procedure, Meghan was back at it - teaching 120 eighth graders.

"I'm back and I feel so good," said Schultz, "and I feel grateful every day."

Doctors say studies show the laser technique is as effective or better than traditional surgery. It's often used on patients who are candidates for traditional surgery because the laser probe can reach tumors that surgeons sometimes can't. The laser procedure may also be effective for patients with seizures.

------

BACKGROUND: The cause of brain tumors is unknown and can occur in almost anyone. Brain tumors are the 2nd leading cause of death in children under 20 and males 20-39, after leukemia. For females 20-39, they are the 5th leading cause of death. Although radiation therapy used to treat brain cancers can increase the risk of their return 20-30 years later, exposure to radiation at work, power lines, head injuries, smoking and during hormone therapy have not been determined to be risk factors. While there has been some debate, most scientific research indicates that cell phones and other wireless devices do not increase the risk of brain tumors.

(Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007222.htm, http://www.abta.org/about-us/news/brain-tumor-statistics/

TREATMENT: While all tumors vary from patient-to-patient, most brain tumors are treated by a specialized team of doctors: a neuro-oncologist (trained to diagnose and treat tumors of the brain and nervous system), Neurosurgeon (trained in surgery of the nervous system), Medical Oncologist (cancer specialist), Radiation Oncologist (specialist for radiation of tumors), and sometimes neurologist and social workers. If a tumor has invaded other brain tissue making it difficult to remove through surgery alone, additional therapies, such as radiation or chemotherapy, may be utilized. Prior to surgery, patients may be given drugs to reduce swelling, or anticonvulsants for seizure reduction.

(Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007222.htm, www.medterms.com,

NEW TECHNOLOGY: The Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, part of the Cleveland Clinic, was the first in the world to utilize the AutoLITT/NeuroBlate laser probe. The system was cleared for use in neurosurgery by the FDA in May 2009. In addition to the laser probe, the Burkhardt Brain Tumor Center integrated advanced MRI technology that provides real-time, detailed imaging of the internal organs, for a more precise operation. The MRI scans provide the images without the use of ionizing radiation. With the use of these computer-assisted systems, there is a substantial reduction in scarring, length of operation, length of post-op hospital stay, brain damage, and hospital costs.

(Source: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/neurological_institute/brain-tumor-neuro-oncology/treatment-services/brain-surgery.aspx)

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:

Andrea Pacetti

Public Relations

Cleveland Clinic

pacetta@ccf.org

216.444.8168