Neuro-oncology experts from across North America provided an audience the latest developments on the best current practices and future treatment directions for patients with primary gliomas using surgery, radiation and chemotherapy at the second annual James Graham Brown Cancer Center Neuro-oncology Symposium at UofL earlier this month.

Eric Burton, MD, assistant professor in the UofL Department of Neurology and director of neuro-oncology at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, organized the symposium, sponsored by UofL Department of Neurology and JGBCC, a part of KentuckyOne Health. Burton talked with Mark Hebert for about brain tumors prior to the event.

Among the speakers was Raymond Sawaya, MD, chair and professor of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, who explained that radical surgical procedures to remove as much of a glioblastoma as possible most often results in improved overall survival for the patient. He described how cortical mapping and advanced imaging can allow surgeons to remove more of the tumor while preserving functionality and reducing potential deficits in the patient.

Shiao Woo, MD, chair and professor in the UofL Department of Radiation Oncology, outlined the latest developments in radiation treatment for gliomas, including the use of molecular characteristics in guiding treatment choices.

Michael Prados, MD, the Charles B Wilson Chair in Neurosurgery and professor emeritus at the University of California San Francisco, shared his most recent research to establish protocols for treatment plans using precision medicine.

Kenneth Aldape, MD, senior scientist and director of MacFeeters-Hamilton Brain Tumor Centre at Toronto General Hospital, concluded the program with a discussion of the need to identify tumors as precisely as possible to achieve better outcomes for patients experiencing glioma. Aldape participated in the development of new tumor classifications by the World Health Organization released earlier this year. The classifications allow researchers to identify the tumors by not only histological, but also molecular composition, which will allow researchers to develop more precise therapies for treating specific tumors.

Photos from the symposium are .��

Aldape was part of an international team of medical researchers contributing to the 2016 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System (2016 WHO CNS), which sets the international standard for describing and classifying tumors of the central nervous system. The 2016 edition provides universal terminology allowing physicians and researchers to define tumors based not only on their morphology (the form and structure of the tumors), but also on their molecular characteristics (genetic mutations or structural variants). These standards ultimately will facilitate more precise and effective treatments for patients.

“These new classifications position us on the path of delivering precision medicine,” said Eyas Hattab, MD, MBA, chair of the UofL Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. “This will allow physicians to tailor treatments more specifically to the individual patient’s tumor.”

For example, prior to the 2016 CNS WHO, a tumor may have been identified as glioblastoma based on its location and cell structure. The revised classification now provides universal terminology to identify the tumor as either IDH-mutant or IDH-wildtype, based on molecular characteristics. This refinement will allow for more accurate prognosis for patients and the potential development of specific treatments for different tumors.

“If we know these are molecularly distinct entities, it gives us the opportunity to study their behaviors. We can come back in a few years and say that based on our studies, these behave better or worse or they can benefit from the following treatments,” Hattab said.

Also at the July 8 UofL symposium, Michael Prados, MD, co-project leader of the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium, will discuss current research in the area of precision-based therapies for patients with recurrent glioblastomas.

The agenda for the JGBCC Neuro-oncology Symposium on July 8 is as follows: 

Introduction and overview of primary glioma – assistant professor in the UofL Department of Neurology and director of neuro-oncology at JGBCC.

Surgical intervention for primary glioma – chair and professor of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.��Sawaya’s presentation will cover the advantages of radical surgery for primary brain tumors and the technological advances that have allowed such surgeries with reduced morbidity.

Radiation oncology for primary glioma – chair and professor in the UofL Department of Radiation Oncology, professor in the UofL Department of Pediatrics and the Kosair Children’s Hospital/Norton Healthcare Chair in Pediatric Oncology.

Chemotherapy and clinical trials for adult glioma – Charles B Wilson Chair in Neurosurgery and professor emeritus at the University of California San Francisco.��Prados will discuss research in the area of precision-based therapies for patients with recurrent glioblastomas.

Molecular markers for adult glioma – senior scientist and director of MacFeeters-Hamilton Brain Tumor Centre at Toronto General Hospital and professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto.

The symposium is co-hosted by the UofL Department of Neurology and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, a part of KentuckyOne Health. Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. on Friday, July 8, at the Kosair Charities Clinical and Translational Research Building, 505 South Hancock Street on the University of Louisville Health Sciences Campus.

Continuing education credit is available for health care providers. The event is free for UofL-affiliated providers, $15 for nurses and $20 for all others. For additional information, visit the or email Emily Rollins.

Valdes, a Distinguished University Scholar and professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Louisville, has researched and patented biological markers that can be used to personalize a patient’s treatment for a specific disease. By analyzing a patient’s DNA, pathologists can pinpoint whether that individual may be susceptible to adverse events, respond well to a specific medication, or experience drug sensitivities or interactions.

The program begins at 8 p.m. on March 23 at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.

The Beer with a Scientist program began in 2014 and is the brainchild of UofL cancer researcher Levi Beverly, PhD. Once a month, the public is invited to enjoy exactly what the title promises: Beer and science.

Admission is free. Purchase of beer, other beverages or menu items is not required but is encouraged.��Organizers add that they also encourage Beer with a Scientist patrons to drink responsibly.

For more information and to suggest future Beer with a Scientist topics, follow