Brain Tumor Awareness Day at PNI

PNI specialists joined the brain tumor community for a special day of festivities and a walk around Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica on May 31st, 2023.

To conclude Brain Tumor Awareness Month at Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI), neurosurgeons and cancer support specialists joined the brain tumor community at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica on Wednesday, May 31st, 2023 for a day of festivities and celebrations followed by a walk around the hospital. The event was sponsored by Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Saint John’s Cancer Support Services.

Throughout the month of May this year, PNI celebrated the brain tumor community with a series of online and in-person events focused on practicing gratitude through wellness and mindfulness activities. Webinars provided by expert life coaches, Project Ronin, and Saint John’s Cancer Support Services, among others, as well as patients living with brain tumor treatment, provided valuable resources for navigating a challenging diagnosis and coping with traumatic loss.

Raising Awareness of Brain Tumors at PNI

Our brain tumor patients and their loved ones often report that they feel unseen, overshadowed, and isolated. A “rare” or “uncommon” diagnosis of a brain tumor can be challenging, in part because the signs and symptoms of the disease or the impact of the treatment may not be externally visible, despite the havoc wreaked on the mind and body.

To celebrate the resiliency of the brain tumor community, celebrity reporter Maria Quiban joined Brain Tumor Awareness Day to sign and distribute copies of her book You Can’t Do It Alone, highlighting how she coped with grief after her husband Sean passed from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Also in attendance was the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA), the largest non-profit organization in the United States dedicated to providing support services and programs to brain tumor patients. The booth was staffed by Wendy Santana, a brain tumor survivor, patient advocate, and blogger, whose stories about coping with brain cancer have helped numerous survivors feel celebrated, seen, and heard.

Patients, loved ones, and caregivers also had the chance to learn about diet and nutrition resources with Cancer Nutrition Counseling Services offered at Saint John’s Cancer Institute, as well as PNI’s new Lifestyle Program.

The Lifestyle Program at PNI is the first of its kind to offer comprehensive and holistic approaches to maximize brain health. Focused on memory optimization, fitness, stress reduction, nutrition, and proper sleep, the Lifestyle Program is a multimodal educational program to promote brain wellness. Courses are offered virtually and in person in Santa Monica.

In addition to wellness and nutrition resources, information on antimitotic cancer treatment for glioblastoma was provided by Novacure, an oncology treatment company pioneering a novel therapy for solid tumors called Tumor Treating Fields, or TTFields, using OPTUNE. This wearable, portable device is FDA-approved and available for patients with brain cancer. Learn more about living with OPTUNE in PNI’s latest patient resource video.

Brain Tumor Treatment at PNI

At PNI, our brain tumor team specializes in helping patients to maximize their time and quality of life by aligning treatment with patient goals. We prioritize careful symptom assessment and management, as well as support for the patient’s care partners and loved ones.

Our brain tumor team provides a unique combination of highly specialized and experienced medical professionals, leading-edge technology, and a personalized compassionate approach that puts our patients first.

We are dedicated to providing state-of-the-art care with a focus on minimally invasive surgical and interventional techniques, in addition to novel targeted therapies that aim to restore and maintain quality of life.

Advanced Treatment Options for Brain Tumors

In collaboration with the Saint John’s Cancer Institute, PNI focuses on translational research and clinical trials, as well as fellowship education and continuing medical education. Our physicians work side by side with our scientists to formulate real-time personalized treatments and therapies for our patients ensuring that they are receiving the highest and most advanced levels of care.

We aim to provide targeted therapies and advanced treatment options patients may not have elsewhere. Clinical trials, research, and tumor genomic sequencing are essential tools in understanding and treating brain cancer.

We are committed to improving the lives of patients with primary and metastatic brain cancers, as well as other aggressive brain, skull base, and pituitary tumors. In addition, family caregiver quality of life and outcomes research in the brain cancer setting continues to be an area of study.

Kicking off the Brain Tumor Awareness Day Walk, Director of Neuro-oncology Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, gave opening remarks alongside expert Neuro-oncologist Akanksha Sharma, MD, Director of Psycho-oncology Shanthi Gowrinathan, MD, and Senior Content Writer at Thrive Global author Elaine Lipworth, on the resiliency and strength of the brain tumor community.

Ranked among the top 1% of neuro-oncologists and neurologists in the nation, Dr. Kesari is currently leading numerous clinical trials for glioblastoma and glioma, chordoma, and metastatic brain tumors.

Our clinical trials and research are critical components in understanding and treating brain cancer. Learn more about PNI’s Pacific Brain Tumor Center.

Pacific Brain Tumor Center

The Pacific Brain Tumor Center is dedicated to providing comprehensive treatment and supportive care for brain tumor patients and their families.

If you or someone you care for has been recently diagnosed with a brain or skull base tumor (benign or malignant) there’s time for you to get another viewpoint. We’ll provide a rapid review of your medical records and imaging and give you our unique perspective on the optimal treatment pathway.

More information: 310-582-7450

Useful Links:

• Pacific Brain Tumor Center
• Brain Tumor Resources
• Find a Doctor
• Supportive Care Clinic
• Brain Tumor Treatment Locations