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Funds Granted to Local Beneficiaries

Head for the Cure continued its commitment to grant funds to local and national beneficiaries to support brain tumor clinical research and programs. Even with the pandemic, Head for the Cure's supporters showed up in a major way, raising nearly $2.2 million, which makes 2020 the third-largest fundraising year in our history. In 2020, we granted $734,500 to different local beneficiaries located across the country from our 5K Run/Walk events to support their brain cancer research or programs. We also granted $200,000 to the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative. 

Grant Details

Our primary scientific partner, the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC), through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a network of top cancer centers dedicated to designing and performing state-of-the-art clinical trials in a collaborative and collegial environment, advancing treatments for patients with brain tumors, merging good scientific method with concern for patient well-being and outcome.

Learn About the BTTC

Click on each of the arrows to learn more about each beneficiary.

Austin, Texas

Austin Brain Tumor Center

For more than 25 years, Texas Oncology has given treatment and hope to more people throughout the state than any other cancer care provider. As a pioneer of community-based cancer treatment, Texas Oncology has a presence in just about every corner of the state. With more than 150 sites of service and 379 physicians across the state, they can help you in the fight of your life.

Texas Oncology-Austin Brain Tumor Center has a widely acclaimed treatment team led by Morris D. Groves, M.D., and provides patients with the most advanced, patient-friendly treatment and cancer care available. Patients benefit from an experienced team, leading-edge medical services and treatment options, advanced technologies, and participation in innovative research programs that offer new treatment options and clinical trials for patients. Through its affiliation with US Oncology Research, Texas Oncology has played a role in 50 FDA-approved cancer therapies, nearly one-third of all cancer therapies approved by the FDA to date.


901 W. 38th Street
Suite 200
Austin, TX 78705
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Chapel Hill, North Carolina

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

One of the leading cancer centers in the nation, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  As one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated  Comprehensive Cancer Centers, UNC Lineberger was rated as exceptional - the highest category - by the National Cancer Institute.  The center brings together some of the most exceptional physicians and scientists in the country to investigate and improve the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer.

With research that spans the spectrum from the laboratory to the bedside to the community, UNC Lineberger faculty work to understand the causes of cancer at the genetic and environmental levels, to conduct groundbreaking laboratory research, and to translate findings into pioneering and innovative clinical trials.

With support from the state of North Carolina for the construction of the N.C. Cancer Hospital and through the University Cancer Research Fund, UNC Lineberger faculty treat cancer patients, conduct research into the causes of cancer and search for new treatments, develop and direct statewide programs in cancer prevention, and train future physicians, nurses, scientists and public health professionals.

The Neuro-oncology Program at UNC is committed to providing leading-edge, integrated specialty treatment for patients with brain and other central nervous system tumors. Our multidisciplinary approach pools the expertise and resources of specialists in the fields of neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, radiation oncology, neuropathology, neuroradiology, and neuropsychology.. This approach ensures both efficiency in diagnosing and treating patients and development of an optimal treatment plan. Our program offers the most up-to-date advances in diagnostic tools, surgical techniques, and medical and radiation therapies.

University of Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
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Charleston, South Carolina

Medical University of South Carolina

As one of the leading cancer treatment centers in the Southeast, MUSC's Hollings Cancer Center combines the full range of cancer specialties to deliver a higher level of care to the patients we serve. Our team of more than 60 sub-specialists – each concentrating on a specific discipline of cancer treatment and care – works with individual patients to develop customized treatment programs that target a broad range of conditions. Our specialists work together as a team, often meeting with patients under the same roof on the same day. We are striving to deliver the highest level of care in the best way possible.


86 Jonathan Lucas Street
Charleston, SC 29425

Chicago, Illinois

Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute

Established in 2008, the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute (NBTI) is a nationally recognized leader in the fight against brain and spinal cord tumors, offering patients the most advanced clinical trial and treatment options available, providing the resources and support necessary for patients and their families to meet the challenges of living with a brain tumor, and training           neuro-oncology researchers and clinicians to meet the highest standards.

A collaboration between Northwestern Medicine and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, NBTI includes more than 50 specialists across a wide range of disciplines. Led by co-directors James P. Chandler, MD, and Jeffrey Raizer, MD, our accomplished clinicians and scientists work together to identify brain cancers, study their development, research new techniques, and offer clinical trials of the most promising therapies. Learn More about Research at NBTI

Our patients have access to a robust list of clinical trials offering novel, state-of the art therapies developed by NBTI’s physicians and researchers, as well as those that are done in cooperation with large, national oncology groups. Search NBTI Clinical Trials online, or contact our Clinical Research and Education Specialist for personalized assistance.

Treatment is only one aspect of each patient’s care. Together with the NBTI’s dedicated social worker, the Lurie Cancer Center’s Supportive Oncology Team ensures that patients get the emotional, physical and practical support they need. NBTI’s Brain Tumor Support Group is free and open to all brain tumor patients, regardless of where they receive treatment.

Learn more about the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute's patient care, services and programs, research and education, clinical trials, and faculty at braintumorinstitute.org or call NBTI toll-free at 855.695.NBTI (6284)


675 N. St. Clair
Chicago, IL

Advocate Health Care - Brain & Spine Institute

Advocate Brain & Spine Institute

As the fifth largest health system in the nation and the largest provider of neurological care in Illinois, Advocate Health Care offers the latest technology to diagnose and treat all conditions of the brain, spine and nervous system. Led by the multi-disciplinary team of experts, the Advocate Brain & Spine Institute provides comprehensive solutions for the best possible health outcomes. Using leading-edge diagnostic and treatment technologies, our experts, from pain management specialists and therapists to neurologists and neurosurgeons, have the capabilities to treat the most complex cases.

Comprehensive Brain & Spine Tumor Care

Led by Dr. Nina Paleologos, our neuro-oncology team is dedicated to delivering compassionate, specialized medical care to adults diagnosed with brain and spinal cord tumors. Treating tumors of the brain, spinal cord, spinal column, and nerve presents a unique challenge and requires the collaboration of multiple specialists. Some tumors are cured with surgery alone, but frequently surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments are needed to achieve the best outcome.

Our experienced neurosurgeons use advanced technologies to optimize the surgical care for the brain or spine condition. Our intra-operative computerized image-guided navigation systems provide precise targeting of tumors. The intra-operative MRI (iMRI) system captures real-time images of the brain before, during and after surgery. Those images give our surgeons the most accurate information for a more complete removal of the tumor and other abnormalities.

 


Chicago, IL

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland Clinic’s Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center

More than one million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year. Nearly 25% of these individuals will develop metastatic brain tumors during the course of their illnesses. Though the number of patients with primary brain tumors is smaller, there is evidence that the incidence of these kinds of brain tumors is rising.

Cleveland Clinic’s Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center serves patients from across the country and around the world. Our specialists, working in partnership with specialists from the Taussig Cancer Institute, offer a full range of advanced treatment options for adults and children with spinal cord and brain tumors, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and radiosurgery, and innovative brain tumor clinical trials.

Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor Center physicians, surgeons, nurses and researchers work as a team, dedicating their lives to treating people with brain tumors. Our researchers are on the cutting edge to determine the mechanisms by which brain tumors occur and the best way to treat them with a minimum of side effects. Our staff physicians are not satisfied with current treatment options available for their patients; most malignant brain tumors cannot be cured. Physicians not only strive to find and use the best combination of current treatments for each patient, but, in collaboration with our researchers, they are actively developing new treatments.

The goal is give our patients hope for improved quality of life through the treatment of brain tumors, while moving forward toward a cure. Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center is a fine combination of research and clinical care: a team working together to offer the best science and technology can offer for brain tumors, one patient at a time.


Cleveland, OH
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Columbia, Missouri

Ellis Fischel Cancer Center

Ellis Fischel Cancer Center’s team of physician specialists and other trained professionals work together with a common goal: to provide the latest cancer treatments and improve quality of life for thousands of people each year. Named after Dr. Ellis Fischel, a physician who envisioned a statewide plan for controlling cancer, the hospital was dedicated on April 26, 1940, as the first cancer center west of the Mississippi River.

At Ellis Fischel Cancer Center we are dedicated to providing comprehensive cancer care, which means we diagnose and treat all types of cancers.


1 Hospital Drive
Columbia, MO 65212

Columbus, Ohio

Neuro-Oncology Novel Therapies and Research Fund at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James)

Neuro-Oncology Novel Therapies and Research Fund at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James)

 

Neuro-Oncology Novel Therapies and Research Fund at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James). The world-renowned experts at the OSUCC - James  are transforming the way brain cancers are prevented, detected and treated.

 

Today, cancer is no longer solely defined by location or even by stage. We know there is no routine cancer, and there is no routine brain cancer. Brain cancer is a complex disease. Each patient’s cancer is different, behaving differently in the bodies they’re in and calling for a tailored, individualized treatment plan for each patient.

 

To deliver the most effective brain cancer detection and treatment, our nationally renowned experts identify and understand cancer at the biologic and genetic levels, unlocking the molecular code of a patient’s disease and pinpointing what makes each cancer grow — then discovering what stops it.

 

Our team of brain cancer subspecialists spans a broad range of disciplines: from neuro-oncologists and radiation oncologists to neurosurgeons, neuropathologists, genetic scientists and more — all specializing in brain cancer (and only brain cancer) research, prevention, detection, treatment and cure.

 

It’s that subspecialization and singular focus that enable us to discover, develop and deliver the most targeted therapies for each individual brain cancer patient. And that means our collective expertise leads to improved outcomes, faster responses, fewer side effects and more hope for cancer patients everywhere.

 


460 W 10th Ave
Columbus, OH
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Dallas, Texas

UT Southwestern

UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty includes many distinguished members, including six who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. The faculty of almost 2,800 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year.


5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75390

Des Moines, Iowa

John Stoddard Cancer Center

We are led by nearly 290 physicians and providers working in more than 50 UnityPoint Clinic locations. They are supported by our state-of-the-art UnityPoint Health - Des Moines hospitals - Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Iowa Lutheran Hospital, Blank Children's Hospital and Methodist West Hospital - and cancer center along with our home health care services, UnityPoint at Home. 

UnityPoint Health
1221 Pleasant Street
Des Moines, IA 50309

Detroit, Michigan

Hermelin Brain Tumor Center

The Hermelin Brain Tumor Center is the leader in brain tumor research and treatment in Michigan for the past 20 years and among the top centers in the U.S.,  treating 750 new brain tumor patients and provides 2,750 Brain Tumor Board evaluations. In total the Center conducts 7,800 brain tumor patient visits annually. The Center was one of only 12 nationally and a founding member of the NIH-sponsored Adult Brain Tumor Consortium. As one of the top three largest brain tumor banks globally, the Hermelin Center was one of the largest contributors to The Cancer Genome Atlas. The Center also offers intraoperative MRI for more complete tumor resection and clinical trials not available for adults elsewhere in Michigan.

For patient’s convenience, Hermelin Brain Tumor Center offers guaranteed appointments within 24 business hours with a neurosurgeon or neuro-oncologist. Within the same week, a comprehensive treatment plan is designed and tailored to the needs of the patient and family. Immediate access is provided for brain tumor patients at any point during their care.


Detroit, MI 48207
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Houston, Texas

MD Anderson Brain & Spine Center

MD Anderson’s Brain and Spine Center is committed to the diagnosis and treatment of brain, spine, and skull base tumors. We take a team approach to give you the most advanced treatment with the least impact on your body. Our multi-specialty teams of renowned experts focus a remarkable amount of talent and expertise on each patient, providing customized care centered on you. The program’s internationally known surgeons are affiliated with both the Head and Neck Center and the Brain and Spine Center. As one of the most active brain and spine tumor programs in the country, we are studying new ways to prevent and treat these diseases. We’re proud to be one of the few cancer centers in the nation to house a prestigious federally funded brain tumor SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) program. This means we are able to offer a range of clinical trials, many of which are available at only a few centers in the country. 

Why Choose MD Anderson?

·         Multi-specialty care for brain tumors and spine tumors

·         Innovative treatments including targeted therapies

·         Advanced technology including proton therapy, Brainsuite® and GammaKnife®

·         Skilled surgeons, latest techniques to treat brain tumors and spine tumors

·         Specialized neuropathologists and diagnostic technology

·         Wide range of clinical trials of new therapies for brain tumors and spine tumors


MD Anderson
Houston, TX
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Kansas City, Kansas

University of Kansas Cancer Center

Through world-class research and patient care, The University of Kansas Cancer Center is working toward a world without cancer. Our work begins at home, here in Kansas, where exceptional cancer care keeps getting better. Patients across the region and beyond benefit from our quest to discover more answers to the big questions. It’s the best in care within the Kansas City region, and we continue to expand our reach into the community to help more patients. We are focused every day on ending the burden of cancer in the Heartland. Our partners include: The University of Kansas Medical Center The University of Kansas Hospital The University of Kansas and the KU School of Pharmacy The University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita The Stowers Institute for Medical Research When it comes to facing cancer, patients benefit from a strong and unified team approach. Our doctors and scientists collaborate on new and more effective drug and treatment therapies. Their goal is to prevent, treat and, ultimately, end cancer. Our patient care team provides the most advanced care and the best possible service to our patients. Our health sciences schools train the next generation of doctors and scientists to continue the fight against cancer. One of our proudest achievements is earning National Cancer Institute designation, which represents excellence in cancer research. Being an NCI-designated cancer center means our patients have better opportunities to take part in clinical trials that test new treatments. They have access to the newest, most promising therapies and laboratory discoveries. And they are able to receive leading-edge care much closer to home.


3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
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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.


8012 State Line Road, Suite 202
Prairie Village, KS 66208
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Kechi, Kansas

Dragon Master Foundation

OUR INSPIRATION

David was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme in September 2010. He was just 16 years old. David was funny, quirky, intelligent and kind. He was well loved by all who encountered him throughout his life. He wanted to be a chef, and he was so honored to meet Gordon Ramsay and to call José Andres a friend. He always had a smile and a hug for the people he loved - and that was nearly everyone he met. Four hospitals, a clinical trial, and countless prayers couldn't save David, and he passed away after a 20 month battle. Hoping to turn this tragedy into something positive and help solve the riddle of cancer, his mother and stepfather have founded the Dragon Master Foundation, with the goal of using big data to help researchers identify patterns and further their research.

OUR MISSION

To find and accelerate cures for cancers and other diseases by fostering and rewarding a community of collaboration and innovation. We seek to spread awareness, expedite research and kinder treatments, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

OUR GOALS

Develop a large-scale database that will transcend existing consortiums and databases and will house molecular, genetic, clinical and environmental data. Further, the database will be built for high-volume, high-velocity data processing taking advantage of the latest technologies while allowing for future growth and advancements. The initial primary focus will be brain tumors, starting with data collection in the pediatric population and then expanding into adults. Update: We are partnered with the Children's Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium on the Cavatica platform

Reward qualified researchers and institutions who share data with the database by giving them free access to the database, leveraging existing grant funding, and creating new grants through fundraising efforts. Update: Access to Cavatica is free. We are currently advocating for other foundations to consider data sharing in their funding models, and we are involved in developing a data sharing award.

Provide opportunities for researchers to work with each other and with other experts outside of their field of expertise to expand the horizons of research by pushing their experiences outside the box. Update: Cavatica has a shared space for collaboration. Additionally, we have an outreach effort to encourage more academic use of the platform.

Provide a system for tracking patients from one clinical study and/or hospital to the next and give researchers better long-term data on deaths and survivors.

Dragon Master Foundation
4120 E. 61st Street North
Kechi, KS 67067
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Midland, Texas

Midland Health

For over 60 years, Midland Health has maintained its pledge to deliver quality health care to the residents of Midland County and the surrounding region. Their staff, volunteers, facilities, and services reflect this commitment today. They are committed to providing the best possible care and service you and your family need.

Midland Health
400 Rosalind Redfern Grover Parkway
Midland, TX 79701
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New York , New York

Children's Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell

"The Children’s Brain Tumor Project is a research effort at the Weill Cornell Pediatric Brain and Spine Center, co-directed by Dr. Mark Souweidane and Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield. The Children’s Brain Tumor Project has a single goal: to bring hope to the hundreds of patients and families each year who confront the heartbreaking diagnoses of rare and inoperable pediatric brain tumors.

Gliomatosis cerebri, DIPG, AT/RT, and thalamic gliomas are just a few examples of the devastating brain tumors that typically strike children, adolescents, and young adults. Because they are so rare, these inoperable tumors simply do not get the funding or attention that research scientists need to find a cure."

Children's Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell
New York , NY 10065
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Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital

Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital | Northwell Health 

Our multidisciplinary team focuses on
minimally invasive surgical treatments of vascular diseases (including aneurysms, vascular malformations and stroke),
skull base and brain tumors, complex spinal disorders and restorative and geriatric disorders (hydrocephalus).

We focus our efforts on ensuring that care comes first and that the patient is fully informed during every step of the
process. Along with benefitting from the application of 3D imaging and computer-assisted technologies for surgery, our
patients also receive improved care from our use of technology to improve communication between physicians and
patients. We are the first hospital to acquire and utilize an innovative video exoscope, a new alternative to the
standard operating room microscope. The video exoscope offers an extraordinarily higher resolution in 4K and 3D images
of the surgical field. The device allows for the entire operative staff to view on 3D monitors the same surgical field
the surgeon is seeing. 

Our surgeons routinely perform virtual office visits, which includes the physician
creating a podcast, which is emailed to the patient so they have a copy of all information explained in the
office prior to a procedure. To help the patient understand their individual treatment plan, we create a video of
instructions for each patient. An example can be found here under "Virtual office visits." Our patients also
have access to clinical studies offering novel, state-of-the-art therapies developed by our own physicians, as well as
those that are done in collaboration with other sites.

The department is led by Dr. David J. Langer, an
expert in cranial bypass surgery and the first surgeon in the country to perform the Lenox Bypass—a new type of
intracranial bypass surgery that is done in collaboration with the New York Head & Neck Institute. All
of our surgeons combine their unique skills and expertise to treat rare and complex conditions.

Lenox Hill
Hospital is a major teaching site for the residency training program for the Department of Neurosurgery at the Donald
and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

Lenox Hill Hospital | Northwell Health
New York , NY
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New York , New York

Children's Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell

"The Children’s Brain Tumor Project is a research effort at the Weill Cornell Pediatric Brain and Spine Center, co-directed by Dr. Mark Souweidane and Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield. The Children’s Brain Tumor Project has a single goal: to bring hope to the hundreds of patients and families each year who confront the heartbreaking diagnoses of rare and inoperable pediatric brain tumors.

Gliomatosis cerebri, DIPG, AT/RT, and thalamic gliomas are just a few examples of the devastating brain tumors that typically strike children, adolescents, and young adults. Because they are so rare, these inoperable tumors simply do not get the funding or attention that research scientists need to find a cure."

Children's Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell
New York , NY 10065
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Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital

Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital | Northwell Health 

Our multidisciplinary team focuses on
minimally invasive surgical treatments of vascular diseases (including aneurysms, vascular malformations and stroke),
skull base and brain tumors, complex spinal disorders and restorative and geriatric disorders (hydrocephalus).

We focus our efforts on ensuring that care comes first and that the patient is fully informed during every step of the
process. Along with benefitting from the application of 3D imaging and computer-assisted technologies for surgery, our
patients also receive improved care from our use of technology to improve communication between physicians and
patients. We are the first hospital to acquire and utilize an innovative video exoscope, a new alternative to the
standard operating room microscope. The video exoscope offers an extraordinarily higher resolution in 4K and 3D images
of the surgical field. The device allows for the entire operative staff to view on 3D monitors the same surgical field
the surgeon is seeing. 

Our surgeons routinely perform virtual office visits, which includes the physician
creating a podcast, which is emailed to the patient so they have a copy of all information explained in the
office prior to a procedure. To help the patient understand their individual treatment plan, we create a video of
instructions for each patient. An example can be found here under "Virtual office visits." Our patients also
have access to clinical studies offering novel, state-of-the-art therapies developed by our own physicians, as well as
those that are done in collaboration with other sites.

The department is led by Dr. David J. Langer, an
expert in cranial bypass surgery and the first surgeon in the country to perform the Lenox Bypass—a new type of
intracranial bypass surgery that is done in collaboration with the New York Head & Neck Institute. All
of our surgeons combine their unique skills and expertise to treat rare and complex conditions.

Lenox Hill
Hospital is a major teaching site for the residency training program for the Department of Neurosurgery at the Donald
and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

Lenox Hill Hospital | Northwell Health
New York , NY
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Omaha, Nebraska

LEAP-for-a-Cure

Leap-for-a-Cure is a grass-roots effort to benefit the Omaha community with Brain Cancer awareness, education, and treatment.  Our family was placed in an unenviable situation when our daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer in April 2008.  Shortly after her diagnosis and surgeries, we created Leap-for-a-Cure and have never looked back.  Our efforts have raised over $700,000 since July 2008, and we continue to gain momentum. Every donation remains in Omaha, benefiting the community.


8303 Dodge St.
Omaha, NE 68114

Fred & Pamela Buffet Cancer Center

The Brain and Spine Cancer Center program at Nebraska Medicine has a team of leading experts specializing in the diagnoses, treatment and support of patients with brain tumors, spine tumors and tumors involving the nervous system. Our fellowship-trained expertise paired with the leading edge therapies such as, advanced imaging, brain mapping, targeted therapy are steadily improving how we treat brain cancers. Patients come from all over the region for consultations, treatment and second opinions.


Omaha, NE 68105
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Orlando, Florida

Orlando Health - UF Health Cancer Center

Orlando Health UF Health is the only state-designated Cancer Center of Excellence in Central Florida. The Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center is comprised of neuro-oncologists, neuroradiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, in addition to neuroradiologists, neuropathologists, neuropsychologists, rehabilitation specialists and other related teams.

 

Our team of specialists is leading the charge against cancer, using the latest research to develop personalized treatment plans based on each patient’s diagnosis.  

Orlando Health - UF Health Cancer Center
1400 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32806
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Phoenix, Arizona

Barrow Neurological Foundation & Ivy Brain Tumor Center

Barrow Neurological Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises awareness and funding to support Barrow Neurological Institute. 100 percent of all donations are invested in compassionate and innovative patient care, community outreach for those in need, advances in groundbreaking research and state-of-the-art education for the next generation of unparalleled neuro-clinicians and researchers. The foundation is a vehicle for donors to change the course of medicine by supporting the world’s leading specialists in battling the most challenging brain and spine disorders. All gifts are directed towards efforts that save human lives.

 

Barrow Neurological Institute is an internationally-recognized leader in neurology and neurosurgery. Barrow makes the impossible possible by accepting patients who have been told there is no hope and pushing the boundaries of established protocols to create revolutionary treatments. Barrow recruits the best clinical and research staff to pioneer innovative approaches to devastating neurological conditions, including ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, aneurysms, brain tumors, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injuries and stroke. In 2018, almost 78,000 patients received treatment at Barrow, 4,751 neurosurgeries were performed and more than 1,000 research studies and clinical trials were conducted. Barrow is one of 25 NeuroNEXT clinical trial sites selected by the National Institutes of Health to participate in validating novel therapies, thereby giving patients access to the newest treatments for neurological diseases. It is home to several centers of excellence including the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, Barrow Center for Neuromodulation, Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Disease Center and Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.

 

 

 


2910 North Third Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85013
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Brain Cancer Awareness 5K

Barb was still a young, healthy woman with a husband and a couple of children at home. A GBM or glioblastoma brain tumor brought an instantaneous change into all of their lives. While going through surgeries and various treatments, Barb wanted to see a 5K created to help bring awareness to this horrible disease and raise funds for research.

Meanwhile, Dorothy, a wife, mom, and grandmother of another family in the same community had recently lost her battle with the same type of brain cancer and were looking for a way to bring awareness and help with research.

The two families were connected by their doctor and the Brain Cancer Awareness 5K was born in 2014. Each year the race has grown in participants as well as more funds raised for research. Each year has also brought more families into our family who have also been impacted in one way or another by brain cancer.

It is the memories of each of these families who have battled so valiantly and courageously that keeps us motivated to bring an end to brain cancer and offer hope to those still in the fight. Cancer can’t finish this race.


Pittsburgh, PA 15203
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Rochester, New York

Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience

The goal of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience is to make the University of Rochester one of the nation’s preeminent institutions for the study of the human brain. Neuroscience is woven into the fabric of the University, with both basic and translational investigators to be found across more than a dozen departments and centers. 

The Institute is building upon what is already one of the nation’s leading centers for research and care in neurobiology and neurological disorders.

  • The Department of Neurology has consistently ranked among the top 10 in the nation in the amount of research funding it receives from National Institutes of Health, and approximately 25 percent of total research activity at the Medical Center is in the field of neuroscience.
  • The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences on the River Campus and the Department of Neuroscience in the Medical Center are highly regarded for their work in understanding the brain’s neural networks, and the University of Rochester is ranked among the top 20 neuroscience and behavior programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

URMC also serves as the hub of several global networks of researchers seeking new treatments for a range of neurodegenerative diseases, and the Medical Center possesses the unique capabilities to provide both the logistical and scientific support necessary to conduct multi-center clinical trials.

This strength of the University’s research enterprise serves as a foundation for excellence in clinical care by combining leading edge therapies and attracting the brightest minds in the field.

  • The UR Medicine Neurosurgery is home to one of the state’s most advanced brain and spinal surgical programs.
  • Strong Memorial Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top hospitals in the nation in Neurology and Neurosurgery.
Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience
601 Elmwood Avenue
Rochester, NY 14642
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Salt Lake City, Utah

Huntsman Cancer Center

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah is a nationally recognized research center and treatment hospital in Salt Lake City. We serve patients with all types of cancer, who come from throughout the Mountain West, including Utah and parts of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming.

Our doctors and scientists include world-renowned experts dedicated to the highest quality standards and driven by the commitment to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

Mission
Huntsman Cancer Institute’s mission is to understand cancer from its beginnings, to use that knowledge in the creation and improvement of cancer treatments, to relieve the suffering of cancer patients, and to provide education about cancer risk, prevention, and care.

Principles

  • Patient and community first
  • United effort
  • Excellence in all we do

These are the principles that guide us. From our physicians and nurses providing care, to volunteers handing out snacks in clinic waiting areas, to valets greeting visitors at the front entrance, the Huntsman Cancer Institute team aims to make each person’s experience exceptional.

Huntsman Cancer Center
2000 Cir of Hope Dr #1950
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
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San Antonio, Texas

University Health System


4502 Medical Dr.
San Antonio, TX

Jaxon's FROG Foundation

Jaxon’s F.R.O.G. Foundation is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit (donations are tax deductible) formed to continue the ministry started by 5 year old, Jaxon Davis, of making a difference for children fighting childhood cancer.  After battling brain cancer for almost 2 years, Jaxon, left this world at the young age of 5.5 years old and entered the gates of Heaven.  Throughout Jaxon’s treatment he was constantly focused on doing things for the other kids at the hospital.  In between his chemo cycles, we started collecting blankets and toys to assemble over 80 welcome gifts for children as they arrived for treatment at the MD Anderson Proton Center.  Jaxon loved picking out items for “the kids” at the hospital, and this passion continued.


San Antonio, TX
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San Francisco, California

UCSF Brain Tumor Center

Our mission is to provide the best possible care for our patients, and be at the leading edge of new treatments for brain tumors.

Since the Brain Tumor Center was established in 1972, we have taken a comprehensive, research-driven approach to brain tumor treatment.

Our ability to offer the latest breakthroughs in treatment is supported through our extensive programs in basic, translational, and clinical research. In the last few decades, our physicians and scientists have led advances in the field of brain tumor care.

We've pioneered many of the standard surgical techniques for brain tumors, including awake brain mapping and transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumors. We've published 2,000+ academic research articles, and continually strive to find better therapies. Our work in characterizing tumor mutations led to a major change in the World Health Organization’s 2016 classification system for diagnosing brain tumors. We identified the first drug combination to be effective against brain tumors, and brought radiosurgery to the west coast.

Through it all, our patients remain at the center of what we do. The need for better therapies drives our research, just as the need to improve our patients' experiences leads to constant improvements to our many support programs. At the UCSF Brain Tumor Center, we understand that treatment goes beyond taking care of the tumor – it's about supporting you and your family through every step.

UCSF Brain Tumor Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 8th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94143
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Seattle, Washington

Alvord Brain Tumor Center

Our approach

A cancer diagnosis is frightening. At the Alvord Brain Tumor Center at UW Medical Center, we're here to help at every step of the way.

We offer a multidisciplinary "Medical Home" to brain tumor patients, giving them one place to go for consults, on-treatment visits and follow-up care. Our care team of physicians and nurse practitioners presents you with a full range of treatment options – and the pros and cons of each – during a single visit. Our staff social worker will support you and your loved ones throughout the course of your care. And we'll manage every aspect of that care right here, from testing to diagnosis to treatment. Whenever you have questions, you'll know where to turn. 

Our services

Our team provides treatment for many brain and spinal cord cancers, including:

Meningiomas

Gliomas

Vestibular schwannomas

Central nervous system lymphomas

Ependymomas

Recurrent brain and spine tumors

Metastatic cancers

We offer access to leading-edge techniques, technologies and treatments, including: ​

Neurosurgery

Gamma Knife

Proton and photon radiation therapies

Chemotherapies (oral and infused)

Immunotherapies

Optune

​And our participation in the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance gives patients access to clinical research studies that provide therapy not available anywhere else.

Our team

Our expertise spans neurological surgery, medical neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, neuro-radiology, neuropathology, rehabilitation medicine, otolaryngology and basic science research. As a team of multidisciplinary specialists, we work with you to find the right treatment for your unique circumstances.

Meanwhile, our social worker will provide emotional support to you and your family, explain caregiving options, discuss legal documents and issues, and help connect you with financial and insurance resources and additional support services.   

UW Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance individually and collectively have built national reputations for advancing knowledge of cancer and its treatments. Together, we're working to discover and implement innovative cancer treatments and technologies.​

Pacific Tower
1959 NE Pacific St.
7th Floor
Seattle, WA 98195
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St. Louis, Missouri

Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center

The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is an international leader in cancer treatment, research, prevention, education and community outreach. It is the only cancer center in Missouri to hold the prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Center designation and “Exceptional” rating from the National Cancer Institute and membership in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Parent institutions Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine are nationally recognized, with U.S. News & World Report magazine consistently ranking both among the best in the country.

Siteman Cancer Center offers the expertise of more than 450 Washington University research scientists and physicians who provide care for nearly 10,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. A full range of advanced diagnostic and treatment services are available for patients with all types of cancer. Siteman also offers patients access to support services and educational resources, and satellite facilities are conveniently located at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital in Creve Coeur, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital in St. Charles County, Christian Hospital in north St. Louis County and Siteman Cancer Center–South County.

Scientists and physicians affiliated with Siteman hold more than $145 million annually in basic and clinical oncology research grants. The results of basic laboratory research are rapidly incorporated into treatment advances, which is enhanced by patient access to more than 500 therapeutic clinical trials, including many collaborative efforts with other leading cancer centers throughout the country.

In addition to treatment and research programs, Siteman pursues an active outreach program of cancer screening and education that involves tens of thousands of individuals annually throughout the St. Louis region.


4921 Parkview Place
St. Louis, MO 63110
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Bethesda, Maryland

Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative

Housed within the NIH, the BTTC was created in 2003 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. This network of institutions allows patients across a broad geographic range to participate in cutting-edge clinical trials and more rapidly determine the benefits of various therapies.

The current treatment of malignant gliomas, the most common brain tumor in adults, remains challenging and less effective than desired. The BTTC has several trials that are either open or in development. These trials hope to deliver results that provide a more effective treatment therapy in controlling the tumor and increasing survival.


Bethesda, MD 20892
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