global view constructed of white lines

Blog

Dr. Chester Griffiths
April 15, 2016

PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Chester Griffiths’ Legacy of Care

by Zara Jethani

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...

Dr. Harvey Cushing
April 8, 2016

Happy Birthday, Dr. Cushing!

by Sharmyn McGraw

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...

Woman in glasses smiling
March 16, 2016

PATIENT STORY: Seeing Clearly After Pituitary Adenoma Surgery

by Sharmyn McGraw

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...

man holding his head
February 15, 2016

Adapting to a Chronic Condition

by Sharmyn McGraw

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...

woman with her thumb up
January 21, 2016

PATIENT STORY: A Tale of Two Cushing’s Surgeries

by Zara Jethani

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...

doctors kelly and kesari chatting in a hallway
December 7, 2015

Brain Cancer Research: Stepping Stones to Brain Cancer Cure

by Zara Jethani

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...

person near a river with their hands up
December 3, 2015

PATIENT STORY: My Pituitary Surgery was Truly a Team Approach

by Guest Author

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. *   *   *   *   *...

mother speaking with her teen daughter
November 13, 2015

I Have a Brain Tumor. Now What? Ways to Handle a Diagnosis. (Part 2 of 2)

by Sharmyn McGraw

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...

woman and her partner
November 12, 2015

I Have a Brain Tumor. Now What? Ways to Handle a Diagnosis. (Part 1 of 2)

by Sharmyn McGraw

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 road sign
November 10, 2015

Clinical Trials: Yes or No?

by Annie Heng

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...

Last updated: May 5th, 2022