Becca is living proof that courage and science change everything.
Young, active and healthy, Becca was always planning her next travel adventure. Focused on where to go and what to see next, she would often explore online for a challenging mountain to ski or a scenic trail to hike. She never thought her search would turn to finding information about glioblastoma, an aggressive and often terminal brain cancer.
“I read that, untreated, the survival rate is one to three months, and even with treatment, you are looking at about 18 months at best,” explains Becca, whose diagnosis came after a series of severe headaches.
More options. More hope.
At University of Maryland Medical System, Becca wasn’t just a patient with a devastating diagnosis. She was seen as an individual, surrounded by a team that understood what mattered most to her. They were ready to offer the most advanced care possible so she could keep living life on her terms.
“One thing that unifies us as a team is how we’re always looking for opportunities to bring patients into the future of care and offer them new, exciting clinical trials, especially those that have been generated and developed here at the University of Maryland,” says Graeme Woodworth, MD, professor and chair of neurosurgery at University of Maryland School of Medicine (pictured). For patients like Becca, that culture of discovery, innovation and teaching can translate into hope and a better chance of survival.
After her diagnosis, Becca was taken to the operating room, where the tumor was completely removed over the course of two surgeries. She then began radiation and a pill form of chemotherapy, but her care team wasn’t stopping there. At University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, patients have access to more than 400 cancer clinical trials.
Where research becomes real care.
“My doctors were so excited about the blood-brain barrier clinical trial and how innovative it was,” explains Becca, who was eligible for the focused ultrasound clinical trial for brain cancer. After a ski trip that was fully supported and even endorsed by her care team, Becca started the treatment that opens the blood-brain barrier so chemotherapy can better reach the brain. “The most basic way they explained it was: you go into the MRI machine, and they use ultrasound to open the protective barrier around the brain, activating bubbles so chemotherapy can more effectively reach the tumor,” says Becca.
The team at the University of Maryland Medical System was the first in the nation to use focused ultrasound technology to open the blood-brain barrier for glioblastoma.
“Focused ultrasound is currently approved to treat patients with the neurodegenerative condition called essential tremor, where we can reverse the tremor condition,” explains Dr. Woodworth. He is confident that in the future, focused ultrasound will become a standalone in the medical field for diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions.
“This is just the beginning. By joining the trial and continuing to share her experience, Becca has done a huge service to the neuro-oncology field and has become a champion for better treatments for this disease,” adds Dr. Woodworth.
“The mental burden of cancer is no more. Everyone should feel the hope I felt. The team at University of Maryland was outstanding. They gave me so much confidence that I would beat this, and I did. Five years later, I am here as a glioblastoma survivor,” says Becca.
She has never stopped living her life to the fullest. Today, Becca is planning her next big travel adventure.