
Utilization of genomics, imaging and rational therapeutic design to face the challenging problem of metastatic cancer in the brain across multiple cancer types
Problem:
- Brain metastases from solid tumors pose unique and difficult challenges:
- Devastating symptoms for patients:
- Headaches, Seizures, Vomiting, Weakness, Loss of Vision, Cognitive Decline, Personality Changes
- Poor penetration of therapies
- Exclusion from clinical trials
- Devastating symptoms for patients:
- Brain metastases are rising in incidence.
- As treatment for systemic disease has improved and patients survive longer, they live to develop brain metastases.
- Twenty to forty percent of all cancer patients will now develop brain metastases*.
- Brain metastases are especially prevalent in patients with lung, breast, melanoma, and renal cell carcinoma cancer.
- Survival for patients with brain metasteses remains less than 5% at 2 years.
- Few therapies, trials, or programs exist specifically for patients with brain metastases.
Solution:
- Develop novel approaches to prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment gained through patience-centric, multidisciplinary research and care for patients
- Develop a renowned, patient-centric, multi-disciplinary, stream-lined research, care, and clinical trials center for patients with brain metastases, taking advantage of many existing Duke strengths:
- Neurosurgery
- Radiation Oncology
- Medical Oncology
- Imaging / Radiology
- Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program
- Extensive Clinical Trials Infrastructure
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center
- Pratt School of Engineering
Impact:
- Prevention
- Therapeutic development
- Improved imaging and diagnosis
- Clinical Trials
- Improved quality of life improvement for survivors