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Category - Brain Cancer

Traveling With Cancer
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 - 9:34am
Ryan Rose Weaver

One week before my brother was set to study business in Singapore this summer, Dr. Metchler delivered his alarming news.

After nearly a year of clear MRIs, Dr. Metchler was seeing something new. The images he’d received in May seemed to suggest a new growth of malignant cells deep inside David’s brain.

My memory of this moment is admittedly fuzzy, but I’m sure our faces betrayed the panic and sadness we felt as we jumped to what felt like an obvious conclusion: summer in Singapore was out. 

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Back to Work: Coping with Cancer in the Workplace
Wednesday, January 2, 2013 - 9:35am
Ryan Rose Weaver

When my brother was diagnosed with cancer, my family’s priorities were clear: his health came first. But eventually, we also had to return to work. 

We were not sure how to talk about how the "C" word was affecting us with co-workers, how the constant worry and uncertainty made it hard to focus or plan the way we used to. In fact, we are still learning how to talk about that. But we have learned some lessons along the way.

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Adjusting to the New Normal
Monday, November 5, 2012 - 9:21am
Ryan Rose Weaver

When my brother was diagnosed with brain cancer, it changed all of our lives, in ways big and small. The texture of reality shifted as anxiety and uncertainty set in. All of our future plans were placed on hold. And a new kind of normal began to replace the old, one in which doctor’s appointments were as common as coffee dates. 

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Our First Brain Tumor: Early Lessons Learned
Thursday, September 13, 2012 - 7:19am
Ryan Rose Weaver

It’s become a running joke in our family: “Hey, give us a break. We don’t know what we’re doing. After all, this is our first brain tumor!”

All families who come through the doors of Roswell Park Cancer Institute are rookies at this, to some degree. Including ours. After all, no one plans for cancer the way they do for college. And every cancer is different.

But still, a nagging sensation remains that we should all be better at this, somehow.

If you’ve been feeling this way, read on. 

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CT Scans and Children: Is There a Risk?
Friday, June 22, 2012 - 11:30am
Robert Fenstermaker, MD
Chair, Department of Neurosurgery and Director, Neuro-Oncology Program, RPCI

Earlier this month, a British study published in The Lancet revealed that computed tomography (CT) scans can raise the risk of brain cancer and leukemia in children later in life. The study may very well make some parents wonder about the necessity of a CT scan for their child and whether it’s worth the possibility of negative long-term effects.

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Understanding Brain Tumors: The Basics
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - 8:32am

May is National Brain Tumor Awareness Month. To help you begin to understand this complex group of tumors, we have compiled some of the key facts, statistics and information below. Learn about the Neuro-oncology Center at Roswell Park or consult the links and sources below for more information.

Brain Tumor Facts and Figures

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Dental X-Rays and Brain Tumors: Understanding the Research
Friday, May 4, 2012 - 3:21pm
By Robert Fenstermaker, MD
Chair, Department of Neurosurgery and Director, Neuro-Oncology Program

A recent study in Cancer, a journal published by the American Cancer Society (ACS), reported a correlation between certain types of dental X-rays and a common, benign brain tumor called meningioma. In general, the study found that those with meningioma were twice as likely than those without meningioma to recall having a bitewing X-ray at some point in their lifetime.

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