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This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about detecting and evaluating cancer for more effective treatment. Glioblastoma is the most common form of brain cancer in adults. It affects the supportive tissue of the brain and can infiltrate the brain extensively before it’s detected. It’s resistant to treatment, and patients generally live only about 15 months after diagnosis, even with treatment.
Now researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are studying a biological indicator that can show how severe the cancer is. Dr. Amyn Habib, a UT Southwestern neurologist, says patients with higher levels of a particular protein molecule have more severe cancer that’s less likely to be affected by chemotherapy. It’s also possible that this protein could indicate a target for drugs that could be more effective than current treatments, and doctors plan more research on this.
Visit www.utsouthwestern.org/cancercenter to learn more about
UT Southwestern’s clinical services in cancer treatment.
