Senator Ted Kennedy's Recent Diagnosis to Increase Research for High Grade Gliomas

June 9th, 2008

At the end of May, a prominent US figure, Senator Ted Kennedy, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. While the exact nature of the tumor has not been publicized, it is widely believed that Sen. Kennedy is diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive form of high grade glioma.

Treatment of his tumor was slated to be the standard mode of operation: radiotherapy and chemotherapy. At the beginning of June, however, in a move that surprised the media, Kennedy underwent a three-hour surgery to excise the tumor¹. Immediately after, he was quoted saying, "I feel like a million bucks. I think I'll do that again tomorrow"¹. The outcome was very successful, giving him the strength to continue with targeted radiotherapy and chemotherapy at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

However promising the effect of the treatment, the prognosis of malignant gliomas is grim. Expected survival of patients with GBM is 12 months on average, but Sen. Kennedy's doctors are hopeful that he can keep fighting for another 18 months². Although this is an exceedingly difficult condition to live with, he remains positive and is responding very well to treatment.

While it is very unfortunate that Sen. Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant glioma, his fight with his brain tumor has raised public awareness about the implications of high grade gliomas. This cancer is diagnosed in approximately 1400 Australians each year³, and due to its very poor survival rate, it is absolutely essential that extensive research projects be developed on a global scale to extend average length of survival, optimize patient care and treatment modality, and, ultimately, find a cure for this fatal disease.

Due to media coverage, research funding for gliomas will hopefully increase. With the support of many generous donors and funding bodies, research initiatives such as AGOG will have the tools to discover the secrets of treating, and maybe one day curing, malignant gliomas.

¹ Reinberg S. (2008, June 3). Sen. Kennedy up and walking after brain tumor surgery. HealthDay. Retrieved June 6, 2008, from http://health.usnews.com
² Ciavaglia, J. (2008, June 3). Kennedy's brain surgery a success. Courier Times. Retrieved June 6, 2008, from http://www.phillyburbs.com
³ Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2006 (AIHW & AACR, 2007)