Clinical
Training
The
first year of the fellowship is devoted to an intensive exposure to clinical neuro-oncology.
Each trainee gains extensive experience in the full spectrum of diseases and problems
encountered in neuro-oncology. Two first year fellows rotate between the inpatient
(hospital) and outpatient (clinic) departments on a monthly basis. There is also
comprehensive training and experience in the administration of chemotherapy and
management of chemotherapy complications.
The
hospital rotation includes management of patients on the neuro-oncology service
and neuro-oncology consultations requested by other services (oncology, medicine,
neurology, neurosurgery). In 2000 there were approximately 400 admissions to the
neuro-oncology service and 400 consultations. Fellows work closely each month
with the attending neuro-oncologist assigned to the service and one of two neuro-oncology
nurse practitioners who also rotate between the inpatient and outpatient services
each month. All patients are admitted to the Raymond D. Adams (RDA) Neurology
Service and are managed in collaboration with neurology residents and Harvard
Medical School students.
The
clinic rotation includes attending several neuro-oncology staff clinics each week
and preparation of the weekly neuro-oncology clinical conference. The outpatient
neuro-oncology nurse practitioner, senior neurology residents and Harvard Medical
School students also participate in these clinics.
Research
Training
Upon
completion of the clinical year fellows embark on 1-2 years of additional research
training. Both clinical and laboratory research tracks are possible as well as
a translational track which combines both clinical and laboratory training. Fellows
receive formal training in clinical research methodology through the Program in
Clinical Effectiveness at the Harvard School of Public Health. Each trainee selects
a research mentor who is responsible for specific projects and the educational
development of the trainee.
NCI
Training Grant
The
Neuro-Oncology Training Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital has a National
Cancer Institute training grant (K12 award), "Clinical Research Training
Program in Neuro-Oncology". This recent award will foster translational research
training for neuro-oncology fellows at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Robert
Martuza, M.D., Chief of Neurosurgery and Tracy Batchelor, M.D., Director of Neuromedical
Oncology are the Director and Co-Director, respectively, for this grant. Research
mentors for the grant were chosen from the MGH, Brigham and Women's Hospital,
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of
Public Health. All trainees will be admitted to the Program in Clinical Effectiveness
at the Harvard School of Public Health and will spend two 7-week summer periods
engaged in a full time curriculum in clinical research methodology. Trainees are
encouraged to apply for admission to HSPH and may earn the Master of Science or
Master of Public Health degree upon completion of the fellowship and degree requirements.
Bakshi
R, Glass J, Louis DN, Hochberg FH. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Solitary
Inflammatory Brain Masses. J Neuroimaging 8:8-14, 1998.
Grossman
SA, Hochberg F, Fisher J, Chen TL, Kim L, Gregory R, Grochow LB, Piantadosi S.
Increased 9-aminocamptothecin dose requirements in patients on anticonvulsants.
NABTT CNS Consortium. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 1998; 42: 118-126
Cher
L, Henson JW, Hochberg FH. Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes. In: Vinken PJ
and Bruyn GW, ed. Handbook of Clinical Neurology Vol 27 (71): Systemic dieseases
Part III, chapter 27, Aminoff MJ and Goetz CG (ed) Elsevier Science 1998
Bakshi
R, Glass J, Louis DN, Hochberg FH. Magnetic resonance imaging features of solitary
inflammatory brain masses. J Neuroimaging 1998; 8: 8-14.
Avgeropoulos
NG, Batchelor TT. New treatment strategies for malignant gliomas. The Oncologist
1999; 4: 209-224
Ciordia
R, Henson J, Batchelor T. Intra-ocular concentrations of methotrexate after high
dose intravenous methotrexate therapy in patients with primary central nervous
system lymphoma. Society of Neuro-Oncology; 1999 November 18-21; Scottsdale, Arizona
Guha-Thakurta
N, Damek D, Pollack C, Hochberg FH. Intravenous methotrexate as initial treatment
for primary central nervous system lymphoma: response to therapy and quality of
life of patients. J Neurooncol 1999; 43: 259-268
Das
A, Hochberg FH, McNelis S. A review of the therapy of paraneoplastic neurologic
syndromes. J Neurooncol 1999; 41: 181-194
Ostergaard
L, Hochberg FH, Rabinov JD, Sorensen AG, Lev M, Kim L, Wesskopf RM, Gonzalez RG,
Gyldensted C, Rosen BR. Early changes measured by magnetic resonance imaging in
cerebral blood flow, blood volume, and blood-brain barrier permeability following
dexamethasone treatment in patients with brain tumors. J Neurosurg 1999; 90: 300-305
Avgeropoulos
NG, Henson JW. Primary meningeal sarcomas. In: Johnson D, et al. Eds. Textbook
of Uncommon Cancer, 1999
Das
A , Hochberg FH. Metastatic Neoplasms and Paraneoplastic Syndromes In: Goetz CG
and Pappert EJ (eds) Textbook of Clinical Neurology, Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders,
1999.
Ciordia R,
Supko J, Gatineau M, Batchelor TT. Cytotoxic chemotherapy: advances in delivery,
pharmacology and testing. Current Oncology Reports 2000; 2: 445-453
Ciordia
R, Hochberg FH, Batchelor TT. Topotecan as salvage therapy for refractory or relapsed
primary central nervous system lymphoma. Proceedings of ASCO 2000; 19: 165a
Jeyapalan
SA, Batchelor TT. Diagnostic evaluation of neurologic metastases. Cancer Investigation
2000; 18: 381-394
Kim
L, Hochberg FH, Shaeffer P. White-matter abnormalities in unirradiated patients
cured of primary central nervous system lymphoma. Neuroradiology 42:406-412, 2000
Valenzuela
RF and Hochberg FH. Methotrexate In: Spencer, Schaumberg (eds.) Experimental and
Clinical Neurotoxicology Second Edition. Oxford Press 2000
Plotkin
SR, Batchelor TT. Advances in therapy for primary central nervous system lymphoma.
Clinical Lymphoma 2001; 1: 263-275
Plotkin
SR, Batchelor TT. Primary nervous system lymphoma. The Lancet Oncology 2001; 2:
354-365
Jeyapalan
SA, Henson JW. Neurologic complications of lung cancer. In Wen P, Schiff D (eds)
Neurological Complications of Cancer (in press)
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