New MyCaringLink Helps Others Help You
In conjunction with National Family Caregivers Month, the ABTA is launching MyCaringLink, a new personalized caregiver support tool powered by Lotsa Helping Hands. MyCaringLink helps prioritize tasks, keep track of needs and post patient updates on message boards. Now when friends and family members ask how they can help, you can send them to your MyCaringLink page.

To learn more, attend the free ABTA webinar tutorial on Wed., Dec. 5 from 12 to 1 p.m. CT. Click here to register.

Ten Tips for Caregivers During the Holiday Season
It's the holiday season - time for shopping, decorating, cooking, company…and stress. Just thinking about the holidays may leave you feeling overwhelmed. To help ease you into the holiday season, we’ve compiled a few helpful strategies to remember while you’re planning. Click here to read our tips for the holiday season.
 

More for Caregivers
The ABTA’s website has extensive information on caring for a spouse, a parent or a child, as well as ways in which caregivers can make sure their own wellness needs are being met. Click here to read more.
 

Non-Malignant Brain Tumors Webinar
Register for “Understanding Non-Malignant Brain Tumors,” part of the free ABTA webinar series, on Wed., Nov.  28 at 1:30 p.m. CT. The session is being presented by Joon Uhm, M.D., assistant professor of neurology and member of the departments of neurology and oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. To register, click here.

Making “Breakthroughs” Coast to Coast
ABTA’s 2013 Breakthrough for Brain Tumors 5K Run & Walks kick off in Florida on Sat., Feb.9 with the Breakthrough for Brain Tumors Tampa 5K. Visit www.breakthroughforbraintumors.org to register and to see a list of all the cities where we’re hosting Breakthroughs.

Team Breakthrough: More Than Marathons
The 2013 Team Breakthrough program for half and full marathoners now includes triathlons. The first half marathon event of the year is St. Petersburg Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon on Sun., Feb.10. Visit www.abtateambreakthrough.org to learn more and register. 

Longitudinal Research Design Study
Studies of childhood cancer survivors are essential for promoting these young adults’ physical and emotional well-being. Longitudinal studies (those which follow patients for years past treatment) provide a way of directly studying the natural course of growth and development among childhood cancer survivors, and are critical to understanding both short-term and long-term effects. An article published in Oncology Nursing Forum (September 2012) describes the challenges encountered in recruiting older adolescents and young adults for a female survivor health care study. The authors document the challenges (including lifestyle characteristics, development stage and limited contact with the pediatric oncology community) and strategies (including relationship building, technology-assisted interactions and web-based trials) involved in recruiting this specific population. To read the abstract click here.
 

Predictors of Survival in Brainstem Glioma
Brainstem gliomas may be grouped into two categories. About 20% are low grade, grow on the midbrain, medulla or top side of the pons, and may be candidates for surgery. The other 80% occupy the majority of the pons and are diffuse in nature. Traditionally, this second category of tumor presents treatment challenges. A group of clinicians in Lille, France studied past medical records of 100 patients with brainstem gliomas to see if histological grade, age and/or MRI findings could be used to predict survival rates. Both adult and pediatric records were studied. The results, reported in the Journal of Neurosurgery (November 2012), suggest that while both tumor grade and appearance of the MRI image were important in predicting survival, tumor grade was the most significant factor. Further studies could help better define the role of tumor grade in developing individualized treatment plans. Click here to view the abstract. 
 

Side-Effects of Anti-angiogenic Therapy
Anti-angiogenic drugs that target the blood supply to tumors are being used with increasing frequency for the management of malignant glioma. Common significant side effects of these treatments may include hypertension (high blood pressure), protinuria (excessive proteins in the urine), reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (headache, confusion, seizures and visual loss), wound healing and vascular events (hemorrhage or blood clots). An overview article published in Neuro-Oncology (October 2012) explores these side-effects, assessment, monitoring, and clinical strategies for managing these effects. The abstract can be found here. 
 

Treatment of the Oldest Patients with Primary CNS Lymphoma
Nearly half of all primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) patients are more than 60 years old, and 20% of those are aged 80 years or older. Researchers recently reviewed records of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center PCNSL patients who were diagnosed at 80 years or older between 1993 and 2011. The study, appearing in Neuro-Oncology (October 2012), discusses the patient characteristics, their treatments and outcomes. The authors noted that the majority of this group of PCNSL patients tolerated the therapies well and responded favorably to treatment. The authors also explore quality of life concerns in the development of treatment plans for octogenarians. For the article abstract click here. 
 

 
Founded in 1973, the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) was the first national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to brain tumor research. For nearly 40 years, the ABTA has been providing comprehensive resources that support the complex needs of brain tumor patients and caregivers, as well as the critical funding of research in the pursuit of breakthroughs in brain tumor diagnosis, treatment and care.

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This information is provided by the American Brain Tumor Association, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 550, Chicago, IL 60631. For more information about the American Brain Tumor Association, call toll-free 866-659-1030, write info@abta.org or visit www.abta.org.

The "American Brain Tumor Association" name and logo,  the "Breakthrough for Brain Tumors" name and logo, and "TrialConnect" are registered trademarks of the American Brain Tumor Association. The "Team Breakthrough" name and logo are trademarks of the American Brain Tumor Association. All rights reserved. 

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