Neuroscience Center at Allegheny General Hospital

Neurooncology

The AGH Brain Tumor Center provides both inpatient and consultative care for brain tumor patients throughout Western Pennsylvania and is in the lead position to advance neuro-oncological care throughout the 6 hospitals (1800 beds) of the West Penn Allegheny Health System. Coordinated care is provided by a dedicated team of a board-certified neuro-oncologist, neuro-surgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists. The team provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent primary or metastatic brain tumors. Long term neurological follow up of brain cancer survivors is coordinated and managed.

What neuro-oncological conditions do we treat?

Primary Brain Tumors in adults: Glioblastoma Multiforme, Astrocytoma, Oligodendroglioma, Ependymoma, Medulloblastoma and others
Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma
Metastatic brain tumors
Seizures due to brain tumors
Cognitive disorders due to brain tumors
Late neurological complications of brain tumor therapy
Neurological effects of cancer treatments
Central nervous system autoimmune or inflammatory conditions requiring chemotherapeutic treatment
Paraneoplastic Syndromes due to systemic cancer
Pituitary Adenomas or malignancy
Carcinomatous meningitis

Neuroimaging capabilities (24 hour services) at the AGH main campus include:

3 MRI scanners (1.5 Tesla)
4 CT Scanners
Nuclear medicine CT/PET scanner and SPECT scanning

Neuroscience Units at the AGH Main Campus include:

23 bed Neurointensive Care Unit
42 bed Neuroscience Unit
36 bed telemetry monitored unit

Referrals: 412-359-8848 or 412-359-8850

Associated Treatments

Chemotherapy and biological therapy for primary brain tumors
Intrathecal chemotherapy
Coordinated management of neurological symptoms due to brain tumor or treatment
Clinical Trials investigating novel treatment for Primary brain tumors
Neuropsychological testing and support for Brain tumor patients

Neurosurgical Treatment

The AGH Brain Tumor Center employs a coordinated approach that begins with a regular meeting of neurosurgeons, neurologists, oncologists, radiation therapists and neuroradiologists to discuss and develop a medical management plan for each individual patient.

In the operating room, patients benefit from the surgical experience of team members as well as the latest technologies including image-guided navigation, awake craniotomies for function determination and preservation, and motor-evoked potentials to map critical brain areas.

The neurologist/oncologist accesses all of the latest chemotherapy and biologicals on protocol and off protocol for the benefit of our brain tumor patients.

Radiation oncologists provide extensive therapeutic options to precisely deliver radiation to tumors while sparing surrounding tissue. Such techniques/devices include linear accelerator based radiosurgery, intensity modulated radiation therapy, and fractionated stereotactic treatments. AGH physicians pioneered a focused therapy method in the treatment of metastatic brain disease that usually spares patients from potentially debilitating whole brain radiation.

Our neurosurgeons and other members of the neuro-oncolgy team actively participate in multiple oncological studies evaluating new therapeutic regimens including gene therapy for malignant and benign tumors of the central nervous system. There also exists a joint program with endocrinologists for the evaluation, treatment, and research into the biology of patients with pituitary tumors.

The following types of brain tumors are treated by the AGH Brain Tumor Center:

Primary Brain Tumors
Metastatic Brain Tumors
Spinal Tumors
Pituitary Brain Tumors
Skull Based Tumors
Pediatric Tumors

Listed below are some of the treatments utilized by the AGH neurosurgeons in the surgical treatment of brain tumors:

Surgery

Frameless stereotactic navigation
Skull based techniques

Radiotherapy

Intensity modulated radiotherapy
Conformal dose planning
Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Physicians

Physician Staff

Lara J Kunschner, MD
Medical Director, Brain Tumor Program
Tracey Stevens, BSN
Neuro-oncology Nurse
Phyllis Wanetik, RN
BSN, Research Coordinator
Donna Mersing
Administrative Assistant
Carol Schramke, PhD
Neuropsychologist

Neurosurgery

Matthew Quigley, MD
Surgical Director, Brain Tumor Program
Brad Bellotte, MD
Director, Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit
Parviz Baghai, MD
Patrick Flannagan, MD
James Burgess, MD
Michael Oh, MD

Radiation Oncology

Russell Fuhrer, MD
Athanassios Colonias, MD
Steven Karlovitz, MD
Mark Trombetta, MD
David Parda, MD
Yousef Arshoun, MD

Administrative Staff

Donna Mersing
Administrative Assistant

Brain Tumor Clinical Research Trials

RTOG 0525 Phase III trial comparing conventional adjuvant Temazolomide with dose-intensive Temazolomide in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma

Description:

The goal of this study is to further investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of two doses of the chemotherapy temazolomide. This drug has shown benefit in treating glioblastoma when combined with radiation. This study seeks to determine if intensifying the dose of temazolomide enhances treatment including overall survival.

Design:

A prospective, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, parallel group, enrolling newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma. Enrollment period is projected to be 2 years. Target number of patients nationally is a total of 850.

Eligibility:

Male and Female patients between over 18 years of age with a new diagnosis of glioblastoma by surgical biopsy. Patients must begin treatment within 5 weeks of neurosurgery

Sponsor:

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

Contact:

Lara Kunschner, MD (Co-Investigator), David Parda, MD (Radiation PI), Judy Negley RN

A Prospective, Multi-center Trial of NovoTTF-100A compared to Best Standard of Care in Patients with Progressive or Recurrent GBM