Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

•Testing cerebral spinal fluid, CSF, for brain cancer genes avoids brain biopsies Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/C8qqy5zN10a/ Modern cancer chemo- and immunotherapy requires genetic analysis of a patient’s cancer cells and is called precision or personalized therapy.  In the case of brain cancer, open biopsies to obtain tissue for gene testing is invasive and time-consuming.  Harvard neurosurgeons at the Mass General Hospital have perfected a technique for rapid genetic analysis of brain tumors using cerebral spinal fluid material harvested using non-invasive lumbar punctures.  The technique worked effectively in a pilot study that  sampled material from gliomas and brain lymphomas.  Genetic mapping was successful in 42% of cases cutting the time necessary to formulate precision, individualized cancer treatment from 12 to 3 days.  That’s impressive and hopefully will save many patients from having their skulls tapped. https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/doi/10.1182/blood.2024023832/516189/Rapid