Brain Tumor Treatment at Jefferson
A primary brain tumor is a group of abnormal cells that start in the brain. Gliomas and meningiomas are the most common types of brain tumors. How you are treated depends on the size and type of tumor and your overall health.
Jefferson's brain tumor program is one of the busiest in North America, performing more than 600 surgeries annually using pioneering techniques to
treat a wide variety of benign and malignant brain tumors.
Achievements over the past 15 years have changed the standard of care for certain benign and malignant tumors. This has resulted in preservation or restoration of hearing or sight, as well as extension of life expectancy. Our team has developed a unique technique for delivering salvage therapy to patients with malignant gliomas that has nearly doubled median survival time from 14 to 24 months.
In addition, Jefferson has the most advanced noninvasive treatment options for brain tumors in the Delaware Valley, including Shaped Beam Surgery™ and fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery. These treatments can target radiation directly to the tumor without damaging surrounding tissue. This means that you are likely to experience minimal discomfort after treatment, which is performed in an outpatient setting, allowing you to continue your normal routine at work or at home without interruption.
Clinical Trials for Brain Tumors
Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia is known for its leading clinical trials. Brain tumor specialists at Jefferson are focused on developing neuroimmunotherapeutic treatments that can transform tumors into manageable chronic diseases or cure them altogether.
In a Phase I trial, a patient's tumor cells are surgically removed, cultured, treated with an antisense molecule and encapsulated in a small diffusion chamber, where a 100-nanometer mesh covering acts as a sieve. Multiple chambers are then inserted in the patient's abdomen for 24 hours, during which time exosomal nanoparticles undergo timed release from the chambers, triggering both innate and adaptive immune responses that attack the glioma and maintain anti-tumor surveillance thereafter.