Neuro-Oncology Center of Excellence

State-of-the-art brain cancer therapy

At the Neuro-Oncology Center of Excellence, you can access the most recent and innovative brain cancer care. Our team of specialists understands what it takes to treat brain cancer. We offer multiple forms of support, from diagnosis to recovery, through mental health services, nutrition counseling, rehabilitation, and genetic counseling.

We help treat primary brain tumors including: 

• Gliomas
• Glioblastoma
• Astrocytomas
• CNS lymphomas
• Oligodendrogliomas
• Pilocytic astrocytomas
• Meningiomas
• Pituitary adenomas
• Vestibular schwannomas 

We also provide treatment for brain metastasis and radiation necrosis.

Surgery

We use innovative techniques to help treat brain cancer, such as:

• State-of-the-art brain surgery: Our neurosurgeons have subspecialized in performing complex surgeries to remove benign and malignant tumors from the brain and spine. Utilizing minimally invasive techniques, our surgeons are able to remove tumors that were once thought to be inoperable. The use of awake craniotomies to preserve critical language function and physiologic motor mapping are just some of the techniques that we leverage to maximize tumor resection while improving symptoms. Our surgeons also leverage fluorescence-guided tumor resections in certain instances. The patient will receive an oral medication on the morning of surgery that makes certain brain tumors appear to glow in the dark, allowing our surgeons to remove cancerous portions of tumor that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. 
• GammaTile Brachytherapy^®*: Our surgeons were the first in Pennsylvania to implant radiation tiles at the end of a brain tumor resection. GammaTile Brachytherapy^® allows patients to receive necessary radiation treatment to their brain tumor while recovering from surgery, sometimes minimizing the need to travel back to the hospital for postoperative radiation.
• Gamma Knife^® Radiosurgery**: We have one of the busiest radiosurgical programs in the country, treating over 300 patients a year with minimally invasive radiation therapy (including Gamma Knife^® Radiosurgery) for benign and cancerous tumors with minimally invasive radiation therapy for benign and cancerous brain tumors.
• Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT): This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that treats certain deep-seated brain tumors with laser therapy. Through an incision about the width of your fingernail, patients with otherwise inoperable tumors can sometimes be treated and go home the day after surgery with LITT.

Innovative medicines

Our team of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists works with you to minimize side effects while maximizing the effectiveness of the drugs.

• Temozolomide (Temodar***): This chemotherapy drug is commonly used to stop or slow cell growth in certain types of brain tumors. It breaks DNA strands inside tumor cells, which slows or prevents their growth. You may experience side effects, such as constipation, nausea, and fatigue.
• Immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors: These new medications can train your immune system to directly fight your cancer. Examples include pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo).
• Bevacizumab (Avastin): This cancer therapy targets blood vessels created by cancers to grow and spread, both potentially treating the disease and improving symptoms.
• Targeted oncologic agents: Often guided by our next generation sequencing testing, newer agents targeted at specific driving mutations in cancer can often be very effective. Some examples include BRAF and MEK inhibitors for various tumors harboring MAPK pathway alterations, BTK inhibitors for lymphoma, and IDH inhibitor vorasidenib for certain gliomas.

Advanced radiation therapies

We use advanced technologies to target the radiation beam directly to a tumor. This approach minimizes overall exposure and results in a more precise treatment and less harm to healthy tissue. The Cancer Institute is the only radiation oncology network accredited in western Pennsylvania by both the American Society for Radiation Oncology and American College of Radiology. These accreditations mean that our facilities meet specific guidelines for patient safety, quality control, and equipment performance.

Providers who are part of our AHN Radiation Oncology Division use advanced imaging to optimize the radiation dose and precisely target radiation beams to the tumor. Types of radiation therapies include:

• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): IMRT is an advanced form of 3D-CRT that uses computer-controlled linear accelerators to deliver highly precise radiation doses. It shapes the radiation beams to conform very closely to the tumor, allowing different doses to be delivered to specific areas within the treatment volume while sparing nearby healthy tissues.
• Volumetric arc radiotherapy (VMAT): This radiation therapy technique that delivers a precisely sculpted dose of radiation to a tumor in a single, continuous rotation around the patient. This allows for faster treatment times and helps to spare healthy tissues around the tumor.
• 3-D conformal external-beam radiation therapy (3DCRT): 3DCRT uses advanced imaging to create a 3D map of the tumor and then shapes the radiation beams to match the tumor's exact contours. This helps to deliver a precise dose to the tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
• MR-Linac: This technology allows doctors to view tumor tissue in real time and adjust the radiation dose during the treatment.
• Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS): We pioneered this advanced radiation therapy technique. It has dramatically improved our ability to control the growth of tumors. This method delivers high, effective doses of radiation in only one to five treatments.

Innovative device

The Optune^®**** device is a noninvasive FDA-approved therapy slows the growth of brain cancer cells without harming the surrounding healthy tissue. The physician places electrodes on the scalp, connected to a portable electric field generator that delivers low-intensity electric fields, targeted directly at the tumor. The device must be used for 18 hours per day to see the best results. You can put the generator in a small bag or backpack and use it while you go about your normal activities.

Advanced molecular testing

We have developed our own Next Generation Sequencing panel, the AHN Pan-Cancer Panel, giving us advanced diagnostic capabilities and the potential to personalize treatment and clinical trial discussions based on molecular alterations unique to your disease.

Dedicated navigation team

Our navigation team includes highly trained nurses, financial advocates, and other supportive care professionals to help plan your care. Our nurse navigators can help explain your treatment to you and your family, schedule appointments, coordinate your care from home, and provide you with emotional support throughout your cancer treatment journey.

We have a cancer nurse line dedicated to you and your loved ones. It's free to anyone, at any time, 24/7. Call 412-578-HOPE 412-578-4673 and a cancer nurse will answer your questions, schedule an appointment, and provide support. If you’re in Erie, call 814-452-HOPE 814-452-4673.

Neurosurgeons

The Neuro-Oncology Center of Excellence brings its group of leaders together regularly to discuss and decide on the right combination of therapies for you. We work with you to get an accurate diagnosis and create an effective treatment strategy based on your personal needs. 

Neurosurgery

Use Find Care to see a list of neurosurgeons.

Radiation Oncology

Use Find Care to see a list of radiation oncologists.

Neuro-Oncology

Use Find Care to see a list of neuro-oncologists.

Nurse Navigator

April DeWeese, RN
Nurse Navigator Lead

How to get care

If you want to be tested for or have been diagnosed with brain cancer, we’re here to help. The Neuro-Oncology Center of Excellence provides personalized care that meets your specific needs. We understand that battling cancer is more than just treating the body. That’s why we offer a holistic approach to your care from diagnosis to treatment. 

To schedule an appointment with AHN Neuro-Oncology, please call our Nurse Navigator Lead, April Deweese, at 412-359-6363.

What to expect from your first appointment

Your nurse navigator and support professionals will guide you through the process, and doctors will explain everything and answer any questions you or your loved ones have.

After your referral, our team will determine the best course of treatment you. For patients who need multiple specialists involved, on the day of your appointment, you may meet with a neurosurgeon, radiation oncologist and neuro-oncologist, and our nurse navigator. Prior to your appointment, your treatment team has a conference to discuss the best treatment plan for you. During your visit, this plan is reviewed with you and your family. Other tests and/or procedures may be recommended.

Our locations

Visit our locations page to find a Cancer Institute location near you.

Clinical trials and research

The AHN Cancer Institute is a member of both the Eastern Cooperative Group (ECOG) and the NRG Oncology consortium to bring international multicenter advanced clinical trials to our patients. We also work with pharmaceutical companies and other research groups to offer cutting-edge research here. AHN researchers are always investigating more effective ways to fight cancer.

The plan for the trial, called a protocol, explains what the trial will do and how the study will be done. Based on the questions the research is trying to answer, each clinical trial protocol outlines specific criteria necessary to be eligible to join the trial.

Common criteria for entering a trial are:

• Having a certain type or stage of cancer.
• Having received a certain kind of therapy in the past.
• Being in a certain age group.

Federal rules help ensure that clinical trials are run in an ethical manner, with your rights and safety protected. It’s to ensure that you’re not put at increased risk by participating in the trial, and that the results of the study are accurate and meaningful.

Brain cancer clinical trials and research

Clinical trials offer eligible patients who volunteer to participate, new options for cancer treatment with novel uses of medications, radiation or surgical techniques with the goal to improve cancer treatment as a whole.

You can discuss available active clinical trials with any of your brain cancer specialist providers and determine your eligibility to participate. 

Currently active brain tumor clinical trials at AHN include: 

• A Phase 3 Randomized Controlled Trial of Post-Surgical Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) versus Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) with GammaTile for Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Brain Tumors.  Sponsor: GT Medical Technologies.
• A Multicenter Observational Study of GammaTile™ Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) in Intracranial Brain Neoplasms.

If you would like to participate in a clinical trial and help our innovative team discover groundbreaking cancer solutions, ask your doctor if you’re eligible to participate in one. You can also find currently active brain cancer clinical trials that are open for participation.

Refer your patient to an AHN specialist

There are two ways for medical professionals, who are not a part of Allegheny Health Network, to refer their patients to an AHN specialist and request their first appointment. You can:

1. Call 412-578-HOPE 412-578-4673 to speak with an AHN Cancer Institute scheduling coordinator.
2. Go to Find Care to find the right AHN specialist and the most convenient location. Then refer your patient, provide relevant patient details, and request an appointment directly from the doctor's profile. 

For more information about referring your patient to an AHN specialist, read the Independent Physician Referral FAQs.