Release Date: May 17, 2022 | Run Time: 43:40 | Download the transcript
Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive type of malignant brain tumour.
It strikes suddenly, often in the prime of life, and is a devastating diagnosis for patients and loved ones.
But innovative new research, such as a blood test to detect and diagnose brain cancer, is showing promise and bringing hope to a field in desperate need of new treatment options.
In this episode of Your Complex Brain, Heather speaks with Dr. Gelareh Zadeh, a neurosurgeon and scientist on a mission to cure brain cancer. Together they discuss Dr. Zadeh's efforts to improve the quality of life and long-term outcomes, for patients.
Dr. Zadeh, Krembil Brain Institute's Medical Director, explains how the science has evolved in the 20+ years she has treated patients with brain cancer. She also discusses her pioneering research, which includes leading a team that is developing a blood test (and other diagnostic methods) to diagnose brain cancer earlier and with more accuracy.
"I think the shift that we need to happen is to know, 'What is that one test that's going to tell us that you're at risk of developing brain cancer?'" she says. "Because we know that if we're able to intervene when the tumour is smaller, the outcome is better. And so how do we get there for every patient? That would be really the golden ticket to transform how we manage brain cancer patients."
At the top of the show, we hear from Rick Arkell, who lost his wife Ally to brain cancer when she was just 35 years old. Later, we meet Dr. Farshad Nassiri, a senior neurosurgery resident at Krembil Brain Institute and The University of Toronto, about his role in developing a blood test to detect and diagnose brain cancer.
Listen to the full episode and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere else you get your podcasts.
Featuring Dr. Gelareh Zadeh is Medical Director of Krembil Brain Institute. She is also the head of Neurosurgery at UHN, and the head of Surgical Oncology and a Senior Scientist at The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Special thanks to Rick Arkell and Dr. Farshad Nassiri for sharing their stories.
Bonus Content: Hear more about Rick and Ally's story and about how Rick is carrying on Ally's legacy by raising money for brain cancer research.
Rick Arkell | Run Time: 10:30 | Download the transcript
Dr. Gelareh Zadeh, MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FAANS, is Medical Director of Krembil Brain Institute, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at UHN and Dan Family Chair and Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto. She is also the Head of Surgical Oncology and a Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, where she runs a translational research program at the MacFeeters-Hamilton Neuro-oncology Program, and holds the Wilkins Family Brain Tumour Research Chair.
Dr. Farshad Nassiri is a senior neurosurgery resident at Krembil Brain Institute, with an interest in brain tumour surgery and skull base surgery. He completed a PhD in molecular biology under Dr. Zadeh's supervision.
Rick Arkell lost his beloved wife Alicia ("Ally") at age 35, in 2019. They have a young son, Emmett. Rick and his family and friends have raised more than $100,000 in support of brain cancer research, through the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre's Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer annual event.
