New Hope on Vanquishing Glioblastoma | Dr. Santosh Kesari

by Anthony Effinger

The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. Host: Anthony Effinger

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Episode 13: Show Notes

Unfortunately a brain cancer called glioblastoma has a very poor prognosis, but there is still a lot that can be done.

Unlike other cancers that often develop as lumps with defined margins in the breast, say, glioblastomas not only present with a central mass but also send out microscopic tendrils into the brain, making them difficult to remove completely without damaging our most critical organ. There are powerful cancer drugs available but it can be challenging to get a full dose past the blood-brain barrier to attack glioblastomas.

Dr. Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, is more optimistic now about treating glioblastoma than he has been at any time in his career. Neurosurgeons have better technologies allowing them to better remove what they can, and neuro-oncologists like Dr. Kesari have promising new therapies available like immunotherapies and targeted treatment protocols.

Listen to our conversation with Dr. Kesari to find out what treatments make him believe that big breakthroughs are on the horizon for treating this difficult disease.

About Dr. Kesari

Dr. Santosh Kesari is a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist and is currently Chair and Professor, Department of Translational Neurosciences and Neurotherapeutics, Saint John’s Cancer Institute.

He is also Director of Neuro-oncology at Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, and leads the Pacific Neuroscience Research Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.

Dr. Kesari is ranked among the top 1% of neuro-oncologists and neurologists in the nation, according to Castle Connolly Medical Ltd and an internationally recognized scientist and clinician.

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Anthony Effinger

Think Neuro's host is Anthony Effinger, an award-winning journalist who is fascinated with neuroscience and the workings of the brain. Anthony spent 24 years at Bloomberg News, where he covered all aspects of finance, with forays into science and health. In 2006, the Association of Health Care Journalists awarded him first prize for Playing the Odds, an in-depth piece on the changing strategies used to treat prostate cancer. These days, he is a staff writer at Willamette Week, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Last updated: March 19th, 2021