Do you ever feel like there is not enough time in an appointment to ask your doctor all the questions you have? Do you have questions regarding changes that have happened to you or your loved one since a brain tumor diagnosis?
Medical Information Specialist Mary Lovely, RN, PhD is available to answer questions and provide information, either by phone or email. Mary has been working in the field of neuro-oncology for 20 years and completed her Post Doctoral Fellowship in Symptom Management.
Ask Mary a question using the online form or call 800 934 2873.
Featured Question
I hear about using molecular information for classifying and treating brain tumors. What does this mean?
Answer:
Traditionally, the methods used in the classification and grading of tumors have been to examine the tissue under a microscope and identify characteristics of a specific central nervous system cell type. Grading is based on the level of abnormality such as shape and rate of cell division (i.e. how fast the tumor is growing). This system is useful for predicting overall survival of people with specific types of brain tumors, and historically has been used to help determine the type of treatment to use.
However, it does not provide insight into the molecular makeup of the tumor, and tissue samples that look identical under a microscope might differ significantly in their clinical course. Recently, scientists have begun focusing on differences at the molecular level, even in seemingly similar cell types and grades. Some of these molecular differences have been linked to better prognosis and heightened responsiveness to particular treatments. This has caused a greater interest in testing for some of these specific molecular characteristics. One example is that patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma who have 1p and 19q chromosomal deletions may respond differently to treatment. Examining a tumor for the chromosomal makeup is now available, though it does require tumor tissue.
Glioblastoma is molecularly diverse with several possible oncogene or tumor suppression gene alterations, and varying patterns of chromosomal gain or loss. This leads to discrepancies in patient survival and may require different treatments. Extensive molecular data is slowly becoming more available that will help separate the molecular subsets within a glioblastoma diagnosis. We are at the beginning. Even though tests may not yet change current treatments, they increase understanding of tumor tissue and may help in future research and the development of targeted therapies.
