| The Brain Tumor Center of the Northwestern Neuro-oncology Center specializes in treating malignant brain tumors. State-of-the-art treatment regimens for benign tumors also exist. Some of the tumors that are commonly treated are listed below. | | | | | | Acoustic Neuroma | Anaplastic Astrocytoma | | Arachnoid Cysts | Carcinomatis Meningitis | | Benign Ependymoma | Chondrosarcoma | | Benign Oligodendroglioma | Chordoma | | Cholesteatoma | Choroid Plexus Carcinoma | | Choroid Plexus Papilloma | Ependymoma | | Colloid Cysts | Ganglioglioma | | Craniopharyngioma | Ganglioneuroma | | Dermoids, Epidermoids | Germinoma | | Fibrillary Astrocytoma | Glioblastoma Multiforme | | Hemangioblastoma | Gliosarcoma | | Lipoma | Medulloblastoma | | Meningioma | Metastatic Tumors | | Neurofibroma | (lung, breast, melanoma, | | Optic Glioma | gastro-intestinal, | | Pilocytic Astrocytoma | renal, lymphoma) | | Pineocytoma | Oligodendroglioma | | Pituitary Adenoma | Pineoblastoma | | Schwannomas | Pituitary Adenocarcinoma | | Plasmacytoma | | Primary CNS Lymphoma | | Teratoma |
A variety of standard and experimental chemotherapy protocols exist within the Brain Tumor Center. Some of the standard chemotherapeutic agents frequently used include BCNU, PCV, and Temador. As a national leader in the treatment of brain tumors, our group engages in experimental protocols for treating malignant tumors. These experimental agents are administered prior, concomitant, or subsequent to radiation therapy. Several of the novel treatment options now available include Gliadel (BCNU) wafers, BCNU-based polymers that are implanted in patients at initial resection of malignant tumors and at first recurrence, and the use of high-dose Tamoxifen.
Radiation is frequently utilized as an adjuvant therapy to surgery, or in some instances, primarily in the treatment of both malignant and benign brain tumors. The Northwestern Memorial Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology provides conformal 3-D radiation, radiosurgery, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, and brachytherapy. Radiosurgery is performed utilizing either the LINAC system or Northwestern's Leksell Gamma Knife. The Gamma Knife, a novel method for administering high doses of radiation to tumors, may be the most ideal means for treating non-surgically accessible tumors, and residual or recurrent tumor following a surgical resection.
A multidisciplinary approach is utilized in developing strategies to treat all benign and malignant brain tumors. These treatment modalities primarily include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The neurosurgeons within the Department of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine have subspecialty expertise in the treatment of brain tumors. These areas of subspecialization include cranial base surgery, transsphenoidal surgery, functional and stereotactic surgery, and cerebrovascular surgery. Our surgeons utilize state-of-the-art equipment including:
- a variety of intraoperative microscopes,
- a frameless stereotactic unit for intraoperative tumor localization,
- intraoperative cortical mapping,
- BRW, CRW, and Leksell frame-driven stereotactic systems for stereotactic-guided biopsies and tumor localization,
- the surgical endoscope for intraventricular and pituitary tumors,
- a variety of intraoperative lasers, and the cavitronic ultrasonic aspirator for tumor resection, and
- brain and spinal cord electrical monitoring to prevent damage to normal tissue.
The frame-based and frameless stereotactic equipment allows tumor biopsies and resections to be performed utilizing smaller, more precise scalp and bone openings than conventional surgery. Functional MRI is routinely utilized in the preoperative planning of surgery to identify eloquent areas of brain which should be preserved during an operative procedure. PET scanning is available and utilized in the same manner.
James P. Chandler, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
Surgical Director, Neuro-Oncology Program
676 N. St. Clair St., Suite 2210
Chicago, IL 60611
312/695-1065 [voice]
312/695-0225 [fax]
e-mail: jchandler@nmff.org
Special interests: general neuro-oncology, cranial base surgery, transphenoidal surgery, Gamma Knife treatment of brain tumors H. Hunt Batjer, MD
Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurological Surgery and Chair
Department of Neurological Surgery
676 N. St. Clair St., Suite 2210
Chicago, IL 60611
312/695-6284 [voice]
312/695-0225 [fax]
e-mail: hbatjer@nmff.org
Special interests: cerebral revascularization as it applies to resection of benign tumors George R. Cybulski, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
676 N. St. Clair St., Suite 2210
Chicago, IL 60611
312/695-0464 [voice]
312/695-0225 [fax]
e-mail: George.Cybulski@nmff.org
Special interests: surgical treatment of diseases of the spine, surgical treatment of spinal cord injury, surgical treatment of tumors of the brain and spinal cord Christopher C. Getch, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
676 N. St. Clair St., Suite 2210
Chicago, IL 60611
312/695-0464[voice]
312/695-0225 [fax]
e-mail: cgetch@nmff.org
Special interests: general neuro-oncology, cranial base surgery Tyler Koski, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
676 N. St. Clair St., Suite 2210
Chicago, IL 60611
312/695-4053[voice]
312/695-0225 [fax]
e-mail: Tyler.Koski@nmff.org
Special interests: spine surgery; adult deformity; brain, spine, and spinal cord tumors; trauma; sagittal alignment; spinal biomechanics Robert M. Levy, MD, PhD
Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
676 N. St. Clair St., Suite 2210
Chicago, IL 60611
312/695-0708 [voice]
312/695-0225 [fax]
e-mail: rml199@northwestern.edu
Special interests: surgical treatment of chronic pain, stereotactic and functional neurosurgery Alan G. Micco, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Otolaryngology
675 N. St. Clair, Galter 15-200
Chicago, IL 60611
312/695-8182 [voice]
312/695-7851 [fax]
e-mail: agm109@northwestern.edu
Special interests: cranial base surgery Kenji Muro, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
676 N. St. Clair St., Suite 2210
Chicago, IL 60611
312/695-3588 [voice]
312/695-0225 [fax]
e-mail: Kenji.Muro@nmff.org
Special interests: surgical and stereotactic radiosurgical management of primary and metastatic tumors of the brain, spinal cord, and spine MaryAnne Marymont, MD
Assistant Professor
Division of Radiation Oncology
Director, Pediatric Radiation Oncology at
Children’s Memorial Hospital
Special interests: 3-Dimensional Treatment planning,
radiosensitizers and cyto-molecular genetics John Kalapurakal, MD
Assistant Professor
Division of Radiation Oncology Jack M. Rozental, MD, PhD
Associate Professor and Acting Chair
Department of Neurology
Director, Medical Neuro-oncology Program
675 N. St. Clair, Suite 20-100
Chicago, IL 60611
Special interests: malignant brain tumors Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Division of Hematology/Oncology
710 N. Fairbanks, Olson 8524
Chicago, IL 60611
Special interests: malignant gliomas, metastatic tumors Claudia Tellez, MD
Instructor
Division of Hematology/Oncology
675 N. St. Clair, Suite 2140
Chicago, IL 60611
Special interests: malignant gliomas Steven B. Newman, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
675 N. St. Clair, Suite 2140
Chicago, IL 60611 This support group is led by Mary Ellen Maher, RN, MSN. This group is open to interested patients diagnosed with brain tumors, previously treated for brain tumors, their family, friends, and interested health care workers. The group's objective is to provide an organized forum in which information and ideas can be exchanged. Most patients with brain tumors find tremendous comfort from consulting with others who have shared their experience. Mary Ellen serves on the Board of Directors for the American Brain Tumor Association and has close ties with the Neurofibromatosis Association and the Acoustic Neuroma Association, all of which allow her to provide current information on novel treatment options. Anyone interested in obtaining additional information on the Brain Tumor Support Group may reach Mary Ellen at 312/695-2183. For further information or to schedule a consultation please call 312/695-8143. The research goals of the Multidisciplinary Neuro-oncology Group are to improve understanding of the biological basis of brain tumor growth and invasiveness and specifics of the tumor-host interaction. These areas are being investigated through collaborative efforts among the Department of Neurological Surgery, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, the Department of Neurology, and the Division of Radiation Oncology. The general areas of interest within the Department of Neurological Surgery include: - The general molecular biology of brain tumors, especially causes correlative of studies of tumor biomarkers such as C-myc, C-erbB2, urokinase, basic fibroblast growth actor, retinoblastoma protein, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cellular DNA content.
- Novel therapies for malignant gliomas, in particular, anti-sense therapy, differentiation therapy, gene-targeted approaches and/or apoptosis and immunotherapy. The neurosurgery research laboratories have funding from a variety of sources and have generated nationally-recognized chemotherapeutic options.
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