World-Renowned Experts Treat Glioblastoma

When realtor Debbie Gilbert-Gardner experienced a headache that lasted for three weeks, she turned to Henry Ford Health to help her find some answers. The neurological team at Henry Ford discovered that she had the most aggressive type of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme. She was quickly and effectively treated with laser ablation. With the help of her Henry Ford neurology family, Debbie overcame her illness and continues to liver her life one day at a time.

It is a typical warm summer night in Inkster, and 49-year-old Debbie is in her backyard listening to smooth jazz, drinking lemonade, and watching fireflies dancing in the distance. She is savoring every moment of life. She carefully caresses her now bald head, tracing the wires connected to her head device. Debbie is not bothered by it; it is a reminder of what she has overcome. She is grateful as she looks forwards to a trip to the Bahamas the next day that she once believed would not happen.

Just six months earlier, Debbie had what she thought was a normal headache. A headache like any other, except that it persisted for 3 long weeks. When she finally decided to go to the emergency room for treatment, she received a heart-breaking diagnosis, she had a brain tumor. She was admitted to a nearby hospital where doctors performed a brain biopsy.

While Debbie was navigating the unknown behind her diagnosis, her husband Louis and sister Nicole got busy researching. They quickly realized that Debbie was in the wrong hospital. They had learned about a team of brain cancer experts at Henry Ford Health in downtown Detroit and they knew that Debbie would be in the best hands there.

Transferred downtown, Debbie and her family met with neurosurgeon Ian Lee, M.D., a co-director of Henry Ford Hermelin Brain Tumor Center. He explained that the tumor was deep in a sensitive area of the brain, the thalamus.

Dr. Lee immediately scheduled a meeting with the 20-member tumor board and multidisciplinary team that specializes in glioblastoma. They decided to perform another biopsy along with extensive genetic testing to help determine the tumor's molecular makeup.

“Sometimes patients have a genetic feature in their tumor that tells us more about how it might behave, or it can inform us about what treatment might respond best,” says James Snyder, D.O., a neuro-oncology specialist. “These tumors are genetically distinct or have very significant features, especially when you compare somebody’s tumor in terms of location, genetics, and the patient’s clinical status and environment.”

In the meantime, Debbie was getting ready for a fight, “the day after they drilled into my head, I was exercising in the hospital, lifting my legs in bed. I had to stay strong. Glioblastoma can come back, and I had to fight mentally. You can’t give in to sickness,” says Debbie.

Typically, a resection is done to treat glioblastoma. However, because Debbie’s tumor was deep in the thalamus, Dr. Lee performed a laser ablation. At other medical centers, a tumor deep in the thalamus would be considered inoperable.

During a laser ablation procedure, a surgical robot places laser fibers in the tumor in order to kill cancer cells. An inter-operative MRI scanner closely monitors the temperature in and around the brain tumor and works to protect healthy cells. Using precision technology and expert maneuvering during the five-hour surgery, Dr. Lee successfully removed 85% of the tumor while preserving the function of deep brain areas.

“Debbie tolerated the treatment very well, which is something we’ve seen in many patients,” says Dr. Lee, who is known worldwide as an expert in his field.

“At Henry Ford, we treat more brain tumors, and we do more laser ablations for all types of brain tumors than anywhere else in the state, and we are one of the busiest in the country,” says Dr. Lee, “That’s because we have the combined expertise of various disciplines here, including neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, medical oncology, clinical trials, and supportive oncology. We work well as a team to craft the best treatment plan for individual patients to offer clinical trials for our patients. We're trying to push the envelope and find the next treatment that will get the cure for brain cancer.”

As Debbie was healing from surgery, she received chemotherapy and underwent 30 treatments of external beam radiation therapy.

To slow or stop the growth of cancer cells, Dr. Snyder also offered Debbie a chemotherapy drug called Temodar (Temozolomide). It was administrated for one week out of every month for six months.

In addition, Dr. Snyder treated Debbie with a non-invasive medical device that provides alternating electric-field therapy to slow or stop cancer cell growth. Known as Optune, the device involves tumor-treating fields, and several large patches placed in the scalp. To achieve the best response from the Optune device, it should be worn at least 18 hours a day.

“I like to keep the Optune on because I don’t want the cancer to come back,” says Debbie who shaves her head every morning. “I’d love to have hair. But I’d love to live longer. So, I’ll wear it for the rest of my life.”

Debbie adds, “I’ll take it off when I go swimming in the Bahamas.” She will be visiting the islands with her husband, sisters Nicole and Andrea, and her cousin Michele as a thank you gift for their support.

During treatment, Debbie’s toddler grandson provided a big emotional boost. When her son and his family moved back to Michigan, Debbie began babysitting three days a week, “I didn’t have time to get sad with a child pulling on me. I’m so grateful for that,” laughs Debbie.

“I try to be at peace and enjoy every day. My family and friends have good energy, so no one is crying or sad. And I have to have faith in God. He has a plan for me,” she says.
Before she had cancer, Debbie says she was a different person. “I had been stern. I always wanted an apology. I was petty. That's the truth of it,” she says. “I realize how much energy I wasted on dumb stuff. It's not worth it. Life is short.”

Looking back, Debbie says, “At Henry Ford, I received the best service. Dr. Lee was wonderful and knowledgeable. He knew his business, and he was upfront. He told me what needed to happen, so I let him take the lead. Dr. Snyder gave me the time I needed, answering questions and responding to my emails.”

“Debbie has been very optimistic. She radiated positivity, and she stayed true to herself,” says Dr. Snyder.

Dr. Lee adds, “Debbie has been a real trooper. I think it speaks to her spirit, her character, and her perseverance.”

Henry Ford offers a supportive social network and counselors who focus on brain cancer patients. To help others, Debbie suggests creating beauty and doing things you enjoy. For her, that means gardening crafting, and decorating. She also renews her energy by reading, going to church, and caring for her dog and new kitten.

“I have faith that the treatment is working for me. Something good will come out of this bad thing,” she says. “Once you get that mental part, you’ll feel better. God will take care of you. Get your energy together and push past the negative thoughts.”

Making plans for her future, Debbie says, “I want to see my grandbabies graduate and get old. And I hope my husband will be right there next to me.”