Mustafa Barbour, M.D., pediatric neuro-oncologist with Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, is working to advance pediatric neuro-oncology care in Kentucky, where the incidence of pediatric brain tumors exceeds the national average. In response, Dr. Barbour, who leads the Norton Children’s Brain & Spinal Tumor program, helps lead new research…
Failure of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) to relieve hydrocephalus in patients with midline brain tumors may be an early indication of an underlying histone H3K27M mutation, according to a recently published study.
Norton Neuroscience Institute is one of six sites nationwide chosen to pilot a new Brain Health Navigator program aimed at creating a worldwide model to prevent, diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease. The program — funded and pioneered by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative — provides resources for patients and providers at these six sites. “This collaborative effort continues…
Researchers at the Norton Healthcare Brain Tumor Center are conducting a clinical trial to determine whether a promising new immunotherapy drug, SurVaxM, improves survivability of glioblastoma. SurVaxM targets survivin, a protein in 95% of glioblastomas and many other cancers. The immunotherapeutic is designed to trigger the patient’s immune system to attack cancer cells with survivin….
Tumors in the central nervous system (CNS) account for 20% of childhood cancers, with 5.65 cases and 0.72 deaths per 100,000 children under 14 in the United States. Brain tumors are second only to acute lymphoblastic leukemia in incidence. While recent advances have resulted in greater life expectancy for some childhood CNS tumor patients, the…
Medulloblastoma is one of the most common malignant brain tumors in children, with cases tending to surface around ages 4 or 5. Currently, the treatment protocol is resection of as much of the tumor as can be done safely, followed by concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy, according to Mustafa Barbour, M.D., pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Norton…
The patient A 39-year-old nursing student initially presented with complaints of a two-year history of intermittent numbness in the tips of the middle and ring finger on her left hand. Over the past six months, she developed episodic numbness in the left face and twitching in the left eye. An MRI scan demonstrated a brain…
There are many types and subtypes of brain tumors in children, and heterogeneity is common among tumors with similar morphology, according to Mustafa Barbour, M.D., pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. Dr. Barbour is co-director of the Norton Children’s Cancer Institute Neuro-oncology Clinic. Many brain tumors in…
Brain tumors are now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among children. Year after year, Kentucky ranks among states with the highest incidence of children with brain tumors, and Kentucky currently ranks third in the nation. At Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, our goal is to be able to…
The patient A 48-year-old woman presented with a history of morbid obesity (376 pounds, BMI 66 kg/m²), hypertension (142/80 on multiple antihypertensive medications), uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (hemoglobin A1C of 9.1), worsening fatigue and increasing facial hair. Cushing’s syndrome is characterized by abnormally elevated levels of cortisol and causes symptoms of obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hirsutism, thin…
After participating in a groundbreaking clinical trial that showed the Optune tumor treatment field device improves glioblastoma multiforme survival when combined with chemotherapy, neuro-oncologists at the Norton Healthcare Brain Tumor Center in Louisville, Kentucky, are treating non-trial participants. Approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the device in conjunction with maintenance temozolomide chemotherapy…
The patient A 57-year-old man presented to the Norton Brownsboro Hospital emergency department with complaints of headaches that started two weeks earlier and worsened over the preceding few days. In addition, his family reported subtle changes in behavior, including increased sleepiness and issues with memory. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan demonstrated a brain mass…