We asked neuro-oncologists Lakshmi Nayak, MD, and Eudocia Quant Lee, MD, MPH, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Center for Neuro-Oncology, to review the red flags that warrant a medical follow up: Headaches that are new or worsening, especially in a person who doesn’t normally have headaches. Often they are worse when lying down and in the … Read more
Kristina Johnson is a recent college graduate with a major in psychology who is working part-time while she looks for the right job. In her spare time, she likes spending time with friends and family and working out at the gym. Her life may sound like that of an average 25-year-old, but in one important … Read more
Charlie Benoit was told that he had a long road ahead of him when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2011. More than seven years later, he’s still doing well—and by studying patients like Benoit, researchers hope to help other patients with this incurable form of brain cancer. In 2011, Benoit, then 48, was getting … Read more
Six years’ worth of repeated surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy with three different agents failed to halt the growth of Frances Zichichi’s brain tumor. As it kept recurring and more surgeries were required, Zichichi lost the use of her left side. Eventually the cancer formed masses under her scalp, causing pain, which was dulled only with … Read more
Anne Palmer never thought she’d face a tougher challenge than aggressive breast cancer. Then, shortly after finishing treatment, she learned her 25-year-old son, Kevin, had an inoperable brain tumor. The two diagnoses, which came in 2012 and 2014, allowed mother and son – who were already close – to bond even more deeply during their … Read more
In three decades with the National Forest Service and other federal agencies, Deb Shea helped fight forest fires and floods, mend broken limbs (including those of four-legged creatures), and save habitats across the country. She credits her grandfather for her love of all things outdoors, but when it comes to her ability to conquer new … Read more
Here’s what you should know about confusion—when it’s a symptom or side effect of a brain tumor, when it’s not, and what you can do to mitigate the problem.
Brain tumors are some of the most complex types of cancers that exist. Here, we break down the most common myths and misconceptions surrounding them.
Dave Mittelman died in May 2017 from brain cancer. The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) team he helped co-found, Team Lizard, will soon ride to honor him and the many other close friends and family members who have dealt with cancer. “At our core, we ride because we believe in a future without cancer,” says his wife, Michele Mittelman.
CNS lymphoma patient Rosette Becker was able to paint her way through the ups and downs of her successful treatment—and she remains in remission more than four years later.
Targeted therapies and immunotherapy are in a phase of discovery that is more promising than any preceding brain cancer research, according to the leaders of Dana-Farber’s Center for Neuro-Oncology.
A common question about severe or persistent headaches is whether they can be caused by a serious underlying health problem, such as a brain tumor.
Brain tumors are graded on a scale of 1 to 4, based on how malignant, or cancerous, they are, in an effort to anticipate the tumor’s likely growth rate. A grade of 1 is the least malignant, and is considered low-grade, while 4 is the most malignant and considered high-grade.
Susan Johnson was diagnosed with a rare, slow-growing brain tumor in 1992. More than 25 years later, Susan is living with cancer — thanks to the chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and clinical trials that have kept her tumor at bay.
Alex Berking, 24, is going through brain cancer treatment and experiencing a new connection to her late father—while drawing strength from his example.
Medically reviewed by David Reardon, MD Central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma is an extremely rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that involves the brain and spinal cord, the primary components of your body’s central nervous system. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in lymphocytes, infection-fighting white blood cells that make up your immune … Read more
On what was supposed to be a memorable night for all the right reasons, things suddenly went terribly wrong for Marie Fricker. Arriving at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for the birth of her first grandchild, she began experiencing dueling discomforts that rooted her to a bench in the front lobby: a sensation of searing heat … Read more
Nausea and cancer are often related in that nausea can be a side effect of treatment, but can nausea be a symptom of cancer itself? Is nausea a sign of colon cancer or other cancers? If there is a tumor that lives in the colon, esophagus, stomach, or somewhere else in the bowel, it can … Read more
Vaccines, drugs, and modified human cells that activate the immune system against cancer have improved outcomes and prolonged lives in some types of cancer in the past few years. For patients with glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor in adults, immunotherapy has shown some promise in clinical trials — but it can’t yet be … Read more
Upon learning she had brain cancer in early 2016, Connie Etheridge immediately thought, “Thank goodness it’s me, and not my children.” Then, three months later, her son Trevor, 23, found out he too had brain cancer. It was a devastating double diagnosis, but the Etheridges have been by each other’s side through check-ups, radiation, and … Read more