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Neuro-oncology Clinical Trials Make Innovative Therapies Available
" I always wear a smile with every outfit,” says Brittany Wagner. Her high school prom and graduation photos prove her motto. Brittany is being treated through the Brain Tumor Institute with a combination of drugs that were tested through one of many clinical trials the Institute makes available to patients in the region and around the country.
Several years ago Brittany was diagnosed with glioblastoma multifome (GBM), a particularly aggressive type of malignant brain tumor. She underwent surgery and radiation therapy at Children’s National, and was treated with a new medication being studied as part of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC).
Led by Roger J. Packer, MD , the Institute, working through the PBTC, was selected by the National Cancer Institute to serve as one of only nine centers in the United States to perform innovative clinical research in neuro-onoclogy .
Dr. Packer was recently recognized with the Founder’s Award by the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) for his work in starting the International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology. Said Foundation President Mike Traynor, “Roger Packer has been and continues to be instrumental in defining the field of pediatric neuro-oncology. He is truly one of the giants in this world and is now playing an important role in moving research toward unlocking the molecular pathways that define tumor growth.”
The multidisciplinary Institute also draws on the talents of neurosurgeons Robert F. Keating, MD and John Myseros, MD ; as well as oncologists Brian R. Rood, MD and Tobey J. MacDonald, MD , recognized nationally as a leader in treatment and research.
They are giants in their worlds and super guys in mine,” says Brittany. “We beat the odds and I made it to my high school prom and graduation. Now I plan to go to college because I want to be a teacher. That way, I can make my contribution to the world of research and care.”
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