Archive for brain tumor
A ‘super’ new heart surgery for a super kid
When you’re the first person in the world to undergo a new type of heart surgery, you don’t have to use the procedure’s clinical name. You can give it any name you want, even your own. That’s what 7-year-old Easton Schlein’s family has done. While his Boston Children’s cardiac surgery team calls the groundbreaking procedure a “reverse ... Read More
Personalized care for optic nerve gliomas helps Addison feel like ‘the star of the show’
Addison Gould loves visiting with her friend Tom. Every time her family makes the drive to Boston from their home on Cape Cod, the 5-year-old can’t wait to see him. “She runs across the bridge from the parking garage to clinic,” laughs her mother, Jillian. “I’ve never seen a kid so excited to go to ... Read More
Walter’s world: ‘Warrior’ toddler doesn’t let a brain tumor stop him
When Walter Merck attempts an obstacle course at his physical therapy appointment, “he just does what he wants,” laughs his mother, Amber. “It’s Walter’s world; we just live in it.” Like many 2-year-olds, Walter can be stubborn — but in his case, it may be a stubbornness born of necessity. Since infancy, he’s been overcoming ... Read More
Research opens a window into understanding deadly brain tumors
Formerly known as diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas, diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are highly aggressive tumors found in the midline of the brain. Their prognosis is very poor, in part because they don’t respond well to treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. Now, research by Mariella Filbin, MD, PhD, and others in the Brain Tumor Center ... Read More
Preventing ‘chemo brain’ with antioxidants targeting the spinal fluid
Up to three-quarters of patients receiving cancer chemotherapy suffer from “chemo brain” — a side effect that makes it harder to remember things, maintain attention, and learn new information. When it strikes children, whose brains are still developing, effects are sometimes long lasting, affecting their schoolwork and self-esteem. “One of the most distressing potential side ... Read More
Pinpointing Karlijn’s seizures: Neurosurgery helps teen get back to her life
Karlijn Kuiper was visiting her home country of the Netherlands a few years ago when the trouble began. At first, her family noticed she would zone out. “She had these strange spells where she would just stare,” remembers her mother, Marieke. At first, it didn’t occur to Karlijn’s family that they could be seizures. Like ... Read More
Diving into the dark side of ependymoma
Mariella Filbin, MD, PhD, a neuro-oncologist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, is driven by a desire to find new therapies for some of the hardest-to-treat pediatric brain tumors. At the core of her work is an effort to uncover the events that shape tumor development. Key takeaways:· Aggressive ependymoma tumors are stuck ... Read More
Guidance for assessing treatment response in pediatric brain tumors
Assessing patients’ response to cancer therapy can be challenging, especially in neuro-oncology. Generally, we assess treatment response by a change in tumor size on MRI scan. However, with brain tumors, changes on MRI scan can be difficult to interpret. A decrease in tumor size may indicate treatment is having an effect; however, a drug can ... Read More
I never thought this would happen to our son
On June 16, 2019, our 4-year-old son, Evan, fell off a jungle gym at daycare. At first, his daycare provider thought he was fine. He got right up and seemed to recover. She called me and we agreed to watch him to see if there were any changes. A couple hours later, Evan started throwing ... Read More
Gliomatosis cerebri: ‘As long as you keep going, you still have hope’
Anna Arabia, the only child of Kathy and Joe Arabia of North Adams, Massachusetts, was 13 when she was diagnosed with gliomatosis cerebri, a rare, rapidly-growing brain cancer. Unlike other tumors, gliomatosis cerebri does not form into lumps; instead it is threadlike, invading multiple lobes of the brain, making it impossible to remove surgically. Anna ... Read More