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Cutting-Edge MRI Research Gives Hope for Tumors
Sunday, July 28, 2024
An article from the Philadelphia Inquirer recently highlighted Elkin’s Park native, Lynn Oxenberg's, ongoing battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer for which there is no cure. For the past six years, Oxenberg has been using a treatment called Tumor Treating Fields (TTF) therapy, which involves wearing a device that sends electric fields to inhibit cancer cell growth. This, combined with regular use of a battery-operated backpack and continuous monitoring with highly sensitive MRIs, has helped extend her life significantly beyond the average survival time of 15 months for this condition.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are studying whether combining TTF therapy with advanced MRI technology, which provides detailed "temperature" readings of the brain to detect tumor changes more accurately, could improve outcomes further. Currently, TTF therapy shows modest success in extending life but is cumbersome and costly. Despite the challenges, Oxenberg's experience offers hope that glioblastoma might one day be managed more effectively, potentially transforming it from a terminal illness into a manageable chronic condition.
Read more about Lynn’s story here: Could AI-powered MRIs help treat glioblastoma like a chronic condition? (inquirer.com)
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An article from the Philadelphia Inquirer recently highlighted Elkin’s Park native, Lynn Oxenberg's, ongoing battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer for which there is no cure. For the past six years, Oxenberg has been using a treatment called Tumor Treating Fields (TTF) therapy, which involves wearing a device that sends electric fields to inhibit cancer cell growth. This, combined with regular use of a battery-operated backpack and continuous monitoring with highly sensitive MRIs, has helped extend her life significantly beyond the average survival time of 15 months for this condition.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are studying whether combining TTF therapy with advanced MRI technology, which provides detailed "temperature" readings of the brain to detect tumor changes more accurately, could improve outcomes further. Currently, TTF therapy shows modest success in extending life but is cumbersome and costly. Despite the challenges, Oxenberg's experience offers hope that glioblastoma might one day be managed more effectively, potentially transforming it from a terminal illness into a manageable chronic condition.
Read more about Lynn’s story here: Could AI-powered MRIs help treat glioblastoma like a chronic condition? (inquirer.com)