Arizona Mom Says Glioblastoma Saved Her Life

Barrow Institute’s Ivy Tumor Center Provides Hope

Glioblastoma brain tumors often recur and Jenn’s did. For those with recurrent glioblastoma, treatment options are very limited, and there is no standard therapy. Not one to take “no” for an answer, Jenn looked for alternatives and found a Phase 0 clinical trial at the Barrow Neurological Institute’s Ivy Brain Tumor Center.

The clinical trial was testing a new drug, AZD1390, which can make tumor cells more vulnerable to radiation therapy. Jenn took the drug for three days before surgery to remove the tumor. Her neurosurgeon, Nader Sanai, MD, removed the brain tumor and the Ivy Center’s team of scientists quickly tested it to see if the drug had reached the tumor and had its intended effect. It did. Jenn continued taking the drug during treatment.

“Unfortunately, for those with high-grade gliomas, the battle is never over,” says Dr. Sanai, director of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center and director of Neurosurgical Oncology at Barrow Neurological Institute. “We’re singularly focused on finding a cure for these aggressive tumors, and Phase 0 clinical trials, like the one Jenn participated in, give us a direct avenue for rapid drug discovery.”