Sharp HealthCare to Launch Brain Cancer Institute

A $5.7 million donation to support cancer services at Sharp HealthCare will help redefine the level of care in the San Diego region for people suffering from brain cancer, one of the most debilitating and lethal cancers.

The donation, made by the Amtower family, will establish the Laurel Amtower Cancer Institute and Center for Neuro-Oncology, which will be based at Sharp Memorial Hospital. The Institute will be named in memory of Laurel Amtower, a popular San Diego State University English professor who died from brain cancer in 2010 at age 44.

Amtower died nine months after being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans. She was known for having a great sense of humor, varied interests and a passion for teaching. Amtower — who authored three books as well as a number of articles and reviews — specialized in critical theory and medieval literature. Many students considered her a mentor, both professionally and personally. She is survived by her husband, Paul Justice, and daughter, Madeleine.

Beginning this summer, Sharp HealthCare patients with brain tumors will be able to receive highly specialized care from a team of experts at the institute. Patients will have access to the latest technology to diagnose and treat tumors, as well as cutting-edge clinical trials and research.

More than 35,000 Americans are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor — a tumor that begins in the brain — every year and thousands of people develop metastatic brain tumors from cancer elsewhere in the body. Both malignant and benign tumors are considered dangerous because they can press on sensitive areas of the brain or spine, causing incapacitating or even fatal damage. There are more than 120 types of brain tumors, and survival rates vary by the type of tumor and age of the patients.

Collaborative care

Because every day matters when fighting brain tumors, patients at the Laurel Amtower Cancer Institute and Center for Neuro-Oncology will be seen and evaluated by a physician within 48 hours after an appointment request. A special neuro-oncology patient review team will meet twice a month so doctors can collectively review cases and make recommendations on treatments. The team will include medical oncologists, neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists and neuropathologists.

Doctors will also collaborate with colleagues locally, regionally and nationally at other scientific and academic institutions researching treatments for brain tumors.

“It is incredibly challenging to treat tumors in the central nervous system, so expediting care and tailoring it to each patient is crucial,” said Charles Redfern, MD, medical director of the new center. “The Laurel Amtower Cancer Institute and Center for Neuro-Oncology provides an unparalleled opportunity for physicians to work side by side to offer our patients the best chance of fighting this disease.”

Specialized support

Patients will also have immediate access to specialized medical staff to support them and their loved ones. This includes a “nurse navigator” who can help patients understand their diagnosis and treatment options, and who will ensure communication among each patient’s care team members. Recognizing how emotionally challenging a brain tumor diagnosis can be, the team will also include social workers to help patients and their families cope with their diagnosis and a genetic counselor to help family members understand their inherited cancer risk.

About Sharp HealthCare

Sharp HealthCare is a regional leader in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship. The system’s cancer program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center. Sharp physicians are currently participating in a Phase III clinical study for glioblastoma multiforme through the National Cancer Institute.