Solid Tumor Brain Metastasis

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
• 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

Patient Resources:

• Brain and Spine Metastases