Dr. Henry Friedman-Neuro-oncologist
Me: If a parent calls you and they have found out that their kid has a brain tumor, what would you tell them in the very beginning? Where should they start?
Dr. Friedman: Alright, what they want to be sure is that they’re at a center of excellence. There are a lot of centers of excellence and there are an incredible number of organizations that are out there. But you need to make sure that you Google brain tumor organizations because they’re all over the world, all over the United States. But what I’m talking about are academic organizations that give out information. They’re all over the place. So Google brain tumor organizations, brain tumor resources. Do a number of searches. You’ll pick up a lot of different organizations. And what you want to tell the people is you want to approach the situation, don’t rush in, and get yourself a sensor. That’s what your dad did; he got me, one of the leading sensors in the world who was willing to help him.
Me: Could you explain your role in the patients’ treatment?
Dr. Friedman: The neuro-oncologist is the one who brings to them the differences to treat somebody, to diagnose and treat somebody with a brain tumor. You want to get a neuro-oncologist from day one and they will help with the selection of surgeons, radiotherapists if necessary, and the actual medical treatment if needed; you want to get somebody that is familiar with the treatment of a brain tumor. Not somebody that has no idea what’s going on.
Me: How important is getting the correct diagnosis to determining the proper treatment?
Dr. Friedman: In most cases it is extraordinarily important. On the other hand, if you’re not going to do therapy, if you’re only going to watch because you don’t think there is anything there you need to deal with then you don’t need to have a diagnosis immediately. The diagnosis is only if you’re going to do therapy. Or if you think it’s going to impact on the need to do therapy. But if you’re confident you’re dealing with something that is a low grade tumor that’s been there for three years and you just happened to pick it up three years ago but you don’t want to get tissue, you don’t need tissue. You don’t need to when you don’t know what it is and it has an unpredictable biology and when you want to do therapy. Then you got to know.
Me: What do you when you have two different diagnoses?
Dr. Friedman: If you have two different opinions from two different major centers, which do not happen often, then you need a tie breaker.
Me: In your opinion where is the hope for brain tumor research?
Dr. Friedman: The hope is all around you. There are new things that are coming with therapy, with better diagnostics, with the use of molecular analyses. Everywhere you look there is hope for better treatment which means better outcomes. The most important thing that anyone can give a family is what I made sure I gave your dad is hope.
Me: What is your role with the patient after all the treatments are done?
Dr. Friedman: The fact that the patients frequently have consequences from the tumor and side effects of the therapy and to ensure that their quality of life is at it’s greatest. So it’s not just treating the children, it’s treating the patient. You’re fighting for the quality of life. It’s the maintenance of quality of life.
Me: What do you find most rewarding about your job?
Dr. Friedman: Calls like from you. Calls where I get somebody who’s telling me that somebody I spoke to seventeen years ago has done well and is doing great and now has a younger sister who wants to give back to the field. That is the most rewarding thing in my life. And your call today came in a week that has been particularly grim for a number of different things that have been sad. Getting this call has made it a much better day.
Dr. Friedman: Alright, what they want to be sure is that they’re at a center of excellence. There are a lot of centers of excellence and there are an incredible number of organizations that are out there. But you need to make sure that you Google brain tumor organizations because they’re all over the world, all over the United States. But what I’m talking about are academic organizations that give out information. They’re all over the place. So Google brain tumor organizations, brain tumor resources. Do a number of searches. You’ll pick up a lot of different organizations. And what you want to tell the people is you want to approach the situation, don’t rush in, and get yourself a sensor. That’s what your dad did; he got me, one of the leading sensors in the world who was willing to help him.
Me: Could you explain your role in the patients’ treatment?
Dr. Friedman: The neuro-oncologist is the one who brings to them the differences to treat somebody, to diagnose and treat somebody with a brain tumor. You want to get a neuro-oncologist from day one and they will help with the selection of surgeons, radiotherapists if necessary, and the actual medical treatment if needed; you want to get somebody that is familiar with the treatment of a brain tumor. Not somebody that has no idea what’s going on.
Me: How important is getting the correct diagnosis to determining the proper treatment?
Dr. Friedman: In most cases it is extraordinarily important. On the other hand, if you’re not going to do therapy, if you’re only going to watch because you don’t think there is anything there you need to deal with then you don’t need to have a diagnosis immediately. The diagnosis is only if you’re going to do therapy. Or if you think it’s going to impact on the need to do therapy. But if you’re confident you’re dealing with something that is a low grade tumor that’s been there for three years and you just happened to pick it up three years ago but you don’t want to get tissue, you don’t need tissue. You don’t need to when you don’t know what it is and it has an unpredictable biology and when you want to do therapy. Then you got to know.
Me: What do you when you have two different diagnoses?
Dr. Friedman: If you have two different opinions from two different major centers, which do not happen often, then you need a tie breaker.
Me: In your opinion where is the hope for brain tumor research?
Dr. Friedman: The hope is all around you. There are new things that are coming with therapy, with better diagnostics, with the use of molecular analyses. Everywhere you look there is hope for better treatment which means better outcomes. The most important thing that anyone can give a family is what I made sure I gave your dad is hope.
Me: What is your role with the patient after all the treatments are done?
Dr. Friedman: The fact that the patients frequently have consequences from the tumor and side effects of the therapy and to ensure that their quality of life is at it’s greatest. So it’s not just treating the children, it’s treating the patient. You’re fighting for the quality of life. It’s the maintenance of quality of life.
Me: What do you find most rewarding about your job?
Dr. Friedman: Calls like from you. Calls where I get somebody who’s telling me that somebody I spoke to seventeen years ago has done well and is doing great and now has a younger sister who wants to give back to the field. That is the most rewarding thing in my life. And your call today came in a week that has been particularly grim for a number of different things that have been sad. Getting this call has made it a much better day.