Clinical Trials & Research

Patients with brain tumors may be eligible for clinical trials, which are new or novel therapies. All patients in the Neuro-Oncology program are automatically assessed for their suitability for clinical trials.

Research is important for learning more about brain tumors and their treatments. Upstate has a unique brain tumor research lab to facilitate a bench to bedside pipeline to support clinical experts treating tumors.

Other highlights include:

• Access to novel and experimental Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III chemotherapy protocols through in-house studies, the Buffalo-Rochester Syracuse Neurooncology Research Group, and the Pediatric Oncology Group.
• Active collaborative bench research involving members of the Departments of Neurosurgery, Medical Oncology, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Neurology, and Neuropathology. Scientists study tumor tissue and cell lines derived from clinical specimens from patients.
• Current studies include mapping double minute chromosomes in gliomas, the role epidural growth factor receptor in glioma and modulation of amplification of the gene for the receptor as a target for therapy; the use of epidural growth factor receptor amplification as a prognostic factor for chemotherapy response, the use of amifostine as a radioprotectant in childhood brain tumors, and the role of interferon-inducible genes in glioma.