Blog

Dr. Chester Griffiths has a knack for making people feel at ease right away. His easy-going manner and friendly disposition complement his considerable surgical experience and expertise. Along with Dr. Daniel Kelly at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, he is co-surgeon in endoscopic endonasal pituitary and skull base surgeries, and provides post-operative...

Celebrate Cushing’s Awareness Day! Founded on April 8th to honor Neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing born on this date in 1869, Cushing’s name is commonly associated with his most famous discovery, Cushing’s disease. In a 1912 study, he reported an endocrinological syndrome caused by a malfunction of...

There is a pea-sized structure at the base of the brain called the pituitary gland. It doesn’t look like much and it could be easy to overlook, but don’t underestimate the power of the pituitary gland. Small, yet mighty, this “master endocrine gland” is part of the...

by Guest Writer Dr. Patti Johnson It takes Two – You and Your Support Team A chronic condition is one that persists over time without an easily definable beginning, middle and end. After being diagnosed with a chronic condition, such as some types of brain...

Rae lives on a 9000 acre ranch in Northern California, is a wife, a mother of four teenagers and is in remission after the removal of pituitary tumors which caused her to develop Cushing’s Disease. Rae grew up as an Army brat and went to 22 countries before she was 20 years old. She says, “It...

In August, former president, Jimmy Carter, was diagnosed with advanced melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer that spread to his liver and was found in four spots in his brain. He is being treated at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Center in Atlanta with focused...

Gerald, a retired Neurologist, from Hawaii, developed a recurrent pituitary adenoma in December 2014. His success and experience with the Pacific Brain Tumor Center and Pituitary Disorders Program team have allowed him to go home back to his active lifestyle. *   *   *   *   *...

There are many effective treatment opinions nowadays for brain tumors and brain cancers. Sometimes staying focused on the right treatment plan for you or your loved one may involve a change of treatment plans periodically. It is normal to feel anxiety and experience the signs...

One of the most difficult things to hear at your doctor’s visit is that you or someone you love has a brain tumor and/or brain cancer. It is normal to feel a whole range of emotions – disbelief, denial, shock, depression, sadness, resignation, anger and more....

Clinical trials are research studies that play a critical role in the advancement of clinical and medical knowledge about disease. Data gathered throughout a trial provides valuable insight into how to detect, prevent or treat an illness. Depending on your condition, your doctor may recommend...