Brain tumor
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive (grade IV) and most common form of a malignant brain tumor. Even when aggressive multimodality therapy consisting of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgical excision is used, median survival is only 12–17 months. Standard therapy for glioblastoma multiforme consists of maximal surgical resection of the tumor, followed by radiotherapy between two and four weeks after the surgical procedure to remove the cancer, then by chemotherapy, such as temozolomide. Most patients with glioblastoma take a corticosteroid, typically dexamethasone, during their illness to relieve symptoms. Experimental treatments include targeted therapy, gamma knife radiosurgery, boron neutron capture therapy and gene therapy.
Lester Skaggs
As serendipity often plays a role in medical and scientific developments, sometimes accompanied by a dose of irony, chance presented a member of the team, who was a promising physics graduate student. The student was diagnosed with a brain tumor, glioblastoma multiformae and no current treatment options available for the tumor. The first clinical use of the high energy Betatron radiation for medical therapy proved beneficial to effectively reduce the mass of the tumor, yet not sufficient to eliminate the tumor and provide a cure.