Written by Karen Carlson, SIU School of Medicine
Sheryl Crow, Ted Kennedy, Ethel Merman. What do they all have in common? They all had brain tumors.
Brain tumors affect people of all ages. According to the American Brain Tumor Association, it is the most common cancer among children younger than 20 and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
Nearly 78,000 new cases of primary brain tumors will be diagnosed this year.
“It’s an overwhelming diagnosis for patients,” says Ali Choucair, MD, neuro-oncologist at SIU School of Medicine. “We care for the total patient. This includes their care givers and their loved ones.”
Caring for these patients is quite demanding but treatment is getting better with improved therapies, Dr. Choucair says. “The brain is the center of personality, emotions, behavior, memory, speech, and complex functions of daily living. It is no surprise that patients who suffer from brain tumors are in demand of multispecialty expertise coming together as one team.”
His advice to patients:
- Get the best available multidisciplinary care
- Be an optimistic fighter and ask many questions
- Keep as much normal activity as possible
- Get plenty of rest and good nutrition.
SIU HealthCare provides a team-approach to care, access to clinical trials and symptom management. To schedule an appointment with one of our many providers, call 217-545-8000.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springield, Illinois