Chris Anthony Brain Tumor Research Fund
A donation to the Head for the Cure 5k Run & Walk supports organizations and programs that research the cause and cure of brain cancer and provide support for brain cancer patients and their families.
Each year about 200,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor. Improving the outlook for adults and children requires research of the causes and better treatment.
Head for the Cure activities support the Chris Anthony Brain Tumor Research Fund, which provides funding for the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC) at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Solace House, a Kansas City center for grieving children and their families.
BTTC
The Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC) was created in 2004 as a network of medical centers with the expertise and the desire to participate in state-of-the-art clinical trials investigating new treatments for malignant brain tumors.
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center serves as the lead institution and provides the administrative infrastructure, the clinical database and oversight for the collaborative.
Several additional brain cancer-focused medical centers have since joined the BTTC. Together with M.D. Anderson, these institutions will allow patients across a broad geographic range to participate in cutting-edge clinical trials and more rapidly determine the benefits of various therapies.
Participating Institutions
Current BTTC participating institutions include: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston and Orlando; The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, Santa Monica, CA; Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles; Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York; Methodist Hospital System, Houston; Northshore University Health System, Chicago; Ohio State University A.G. James Center Hospital, Columbus, OH; University of Virginia-The Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA; University of Washington-Seattle Cancer Center Alliance, Seattle; UT Southwestern, Dallas.
A data management infrastructure for the BTTC has been established and it will soon launch the first clinical trial.
"The financial support provided us by Head for the Cure and the Chris Anthony Brain Tumor Research Fund has allowed us to establish the collaborative,” said Dr. Mark Gilbert, who oversees the BTTC effort. “This support will also play a major role in providing the resources required for the laboratory studies that are planned for the tumor tissue from patients enrolled in this trial."
BTTC Leads Study
Recently, the BTTC has been identified to take the lead for a study of a new promising antiangiogenic (attacks tumor blood vessels) agent that demonstrates excellent activity against brain tumors in animal model systems. Dr. Gilbert anticipates that the BTTC will be quickly recognized as a major contributor to advancing the treatment of patients with brain tumors.
Additionally, the BTTC has undertaken a major effort to study the symptoms suffered by patients with brain tumors. Work by Dr. Terri Armstrong at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center clearly demonstrates that many patients have a high symptom burden, but the symptoms experienced by brain tumor patients are different from those experienced by other cancer patients.
Dr. Armstrong developed a tool to specifically measure symptoms in patients with brain tumors. Dr. Gilbert explained, "We plan to use some of your financial support to develop a comprehensive plan to longitudinally study symptoms and then expand this effort to look at interventions for these issues.
Solace House
Solace House is a Kansas City center for grieving children and their families. The mission of Solace House is to provide a safe and understanding environment where grieving children and their families can obtain support from counselors, trained volunteer facilitators and other families in similar situations. The unique experience of every family's journey toward healing is recognized and honored.
Solace House provides support groups, counseling services, professional referrals and resources to assist grieving families. It receives calls nearly every day from families, who have suffered a loss as a result of an illness, unexpected accident, pregnancy loss or by an experience related to a homicide or suicide. No matter what the reason, these families call Solace House because they are in pain and are seeking support, guidance and community connection.
Thank you for ongoing support of the Head for the Cure Foundation!
