Weill Medical College of Cornell University

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• Clinical Trials
• Acoustic Neuromas
• Aneurysms
• Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
• Epilepsy
• Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
• Movement Disorders
• Newly Diagnosed Brain Tumors
• Pseudotumor Cerebri
• Recurrent Brain Tumor Studies
• Stenosis
• Stroke
• Spine Surgery
• Vestibular Schwannoma
• Laboratory Research
• Laboratory Research in Pediatric Neurosurgery
• Laboratory Research in Epilepsy

Clinical Trials

Acoustic Neuroma
Aneurysms
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
Epilepsy
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
Movement Disorders
Newly Diagnosed Brain Tumors
Pseudotumor Cerebri
Recurrent Brain Tumor Studies
Stenosis
Stroke
Spine Surgery
Vestibular Schwannoma

Acoustic Neuroma (See Vestibular Schwannoma)

Aneurysms

For information about clinical trials, please contact the Aneurysms service.

• Wide-Neck aneurysms: The Neuroform Stent & the Enterprise Stent System

  Clinical study of devices sued under an HDE. These two stents are small metallic mesh tube designed to keep the coils in the aneurysm sac, in intracranial wide neck aneurysms.

• Comparison of Digital Subtraction angiography vs. MRA for the detection of recurrence of intracranial aneurysms following obliteration with platinum coils.

• ONYX Liquid Embolic System for Aneurysms

  This is a study using an artificial material used to block blood flow into aneurysms. Onyx is indicated for treatment of intracranial, saccular, sidewall aneurysms that present with a wide neck and are not amenable to treat with surgical clipping. This study is under a Humanitarian Use Device.

• Retrospective Aneurysm Review

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)

CONVECTION-ENHANCED DELIVERY OF 124I-8H9 FOR PATIENTS WITH NON-PROGRESSIVE DIFFUSE PONTINE GLIOMAS PREVIOUSLY TREATED WITH EXTERNAL BEAM RADIATION THERAPY

PI: Mark Souweidane, MD 212-639-7056
Email: mmsouwei@med.cornell.edu
Status: Enrolling

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a rare, inoperable, and uniformly fatal brain tumor that strikes young children. Surgical removal is not possible due to the location and diffuse nature of the tumor. Chemotherapy has proven ineffective due to the protective nature of the blood-brain barrier. Radiation is the standard treatment for DIPG, but it does not provide a cure; most patients die within months of diagnosis. This study tests an innovative convection-enhanced delivery (CED) technique that places a radioactive therapeutic agent (124I-8H9 ) at the site of the tumor using a surgically placed cannula. This trial is the first time CED has been used to administer 124I-8H9, shown to be safe in animals, to a human brain. It is open to patients between the ages of 3 and 21 who have undergone external beam radiotherapy at least 4 weeks but no more than 14 weeks before enrollment.
Get more details about the trial. Download PDF of trial information.

Epilepsy

At the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, not only are we dedicated the treatment of epilepsy using the latest state-of-the-art medication and surgical techniques, but we have several NIH- and privately-funded laboratories pursuing novel treatments and increasing our understanding of the pathophysiology of epilepsy. For information about any of our clinical trials, please contact the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus for Epilepsy

The thalamus makes electrical connections with many parts of the brain, and stimulation there may oppose a patient's epilepsy and reduce seizures. Thalamic stimulation is already in use to treat tremor and stimulation of a nearby brain region, the subthalamic nucleus, is now being used to treat Parkinson's disease. For stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus, the stimulating electrodes are surgically placed through dime-sized holes in the top of the skull, and are connected to a battery pack in the chest by thin wires that run under the skin. Patients with brain stimulators still take antiepileptic medications. However, rather than coming to their doctor for medication prescription changes, patients in the stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus study come to get their stimulator settings reprogrammed with a magnetic device that the treating doctor uses to send information through the skin.

Responsive Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy

Responsive brain stimulation functions by delivering a counter-shock to the seizure source in the brain at the moment a seizure starts. This is thought to interrupt the seizure and stop it before it spreads and becomes severe. The responsive brain stimulator employs a small battery-operated computer that is surgically implanted in the skull to detect the abnormal brain electrical activity that represents a seizure. This tiny computer is connected with thin wires to an electrode implanted in the brain at the seizure source. When the device detects a seizure, it immediately sends a counter-shock to block it. Patients with brain stimulators still take antiepileptic medications. However, rather than coming to their doctor for medication prescription changes, patients in the responsive brain stimulator study come to get their stimulator settings reprogrammed with a magnetic device that the treating doctor uses to send information through the skin. For more information on stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus, the responsive brain stimulator study, or other new epilepsy treatments available at New-York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, please contact the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

Optical imaging of intrinsic signals in vivo

In the past few years, researchers have learned that neuronal activity can be recorded optically by measuring small changes in the reflectance of light on the surface of the brain. Using this technique, Dr. Theodore Schwartz has pioneered the ability to monitor the initiation and spread of epilepsy on the surface of the brain with a sensitive camera. These "epilepsy movies" provide the ability to map an epileptic focus with incredible spatial and temporal resolution. Researchers at Weill Medical College are currently using these techniques in the laboratory to provide a greater understanding of epilepsy and implement novel techniques that may someday offer a cure for more patients with epilepsy. The use of optical imaging techniques in humans is another exciting project, which we are undertaking to map epileptic foci in the operating room prior to epilepsy surgery. Human epilepsy movies will demonstrate epileptic foci with greater resolution than is currently available and increase the efficacy of our surgical treatments.

Optical imaging of calcium dynamic in vitro

In collaboration with Dr. Rafael Yuste at Columbia University, Dr. Schwartz's laboratory is using fluorescence imaging to monitor small changes in calcium concentration in hundreds of cells simultaneously during epileptic events. With this technique, investigators can monitor the exact cells where a seizure begins and where they spread and then identify and characterize these cells. Novel therapies based on cell-specific markers and immunotoxins can then be developed to treat epilepsy.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

• VENOUS SINUS STENTING IN PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY IDIOPATHIC INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION (IIH)

  There are many patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) who do not respond to available treatments or experience medication-related side effects that affect their quality of life. Existing surgical treatments pose risks of side effects or treatment failure in some patients. At the departments of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology, we are dedicated to seeking new therapies to help patients with IIH control their symptoms and preserve vision. A new clinical trial aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of venous sinus stenting in patients with refractory IIH and significant venous sinus stenosis. Get more details about the trail. Download PDF of clinical trial details .
  
  Contacts: Athos Patsalides, MD, MPH
  Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
  (212) 746-2821
  Marc Dinkin, MD
  Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
  (646) 962-2020
  Status: Enrolling

Movement Disorders

Gene Therapy

The Department is conducting the first-ever cinical trial involving gene therapy to treat Parkinson's Disease. This promising technology has the potential to revolutionize our approach to treating a whole range of neurological disorders. Principal Investigator: Michael G. Kaplitt, M.D., Ph.D.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

We are also conducting a series of clinical trials in order to expand the medical benefits of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) to a greater variety of neurological disorders. The Department's Laboratory of Molecular Neurosurgery actively investigates the effects of DBS on brain cell biology and is developing molecular techniques to improve our understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Principal Investigator: Michael G. Kaplitt, M.D., Ph.D. Phone (212) 746-4966; Fax (212) 746-2244.

Newly Diagnosed Brain Tumors

• Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Phase II Study of the Safety and Efficacy of ICT-107 in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) Following Resection and Chemoradiation

  
  PI: Susan C. Pannullo, MD (212) 746-2438
  Email: scp2002@med.cornell.edu
  Funding: ImmunoCellular Therapeutics
  Status: Closed
  
  Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and fast growing type of brain tumor. There are only 3 treatments for GBM that are approved by the FDA. The most frequent treatment involves removing as much of the tumor as possible during surgery and then treatment with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of both. However, even after surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the tumor usually returns. This study is a randomized, double-blind, controlled phase IIb study of the safety and efficacy of ICT-107 in newly diagnosed patients with stage IV GBM following resection and chemoradiation. The study will compare overall survival and progression-free survival in patients when treated with the ICT-107 vaccine versus a control.

• Prospective, Multi-center Trial of NovoTTF-100A Together With Temozolomide Compared to Temozolomide Alone in Patients with Newly Diagnosed GBM.

  
  PI: Susan C. Pannullo, MD (212) 746-2438
  Email: scp2002@med.cornell.edu
  Funding: Novocure Ltd
  Status: Enrolling
  
  This is a study comparing the currently available treatments for subjects with Newly Diagnosed brain tumors and an investigative device NovoTTF-100A. NovoTTF-100A has shown some promises in prior studies in humans. Currently, people with Newly Diagnosed brain tumors are being treated with chemotherapeutic agents with very limited success. Previous studies in humans suggest increase time to disease progression and overall survival in brain tumor subjects treated with the new device NovoTTF-100A. This device works by sending alternating electric fields of low intensity which has shown to kill the cancer cells while not having other effects on muscle and brain tissues. Also due to the low intensity, heating is not seen.
  
  Subjects in the current trial would be assigned by chance to either the chemotherapy group or the Device group. Those assigned to the Chemotherapy group will receive the best standard of care available for their disease at the Center. If assigned to NovoTTF-100A the subject will be treated continuously for as long as their disease is stable or regressing in addition to standard therapy. Regardless of the group assigned, the subjects will be examined monthly and undergo routine laboratory examinations at the outpatient clinic. After the first progression, subjects on the device arm can continue with the investigative device in addition to alternative therapy. After the second progression subjects will return once per month for two more months for similar follow up examinations. After this follow up plan, subjects will be contacted by telephone to answer basic questions about their health status. It is our hope that this comparison will help us in developing better treatments for people affected by this terrible disease.

• PHASE I TRIAL OF SUPER-SELECTIVE INTRAARTERIAL INTRACRANIAL INFUSION OF AVASTIN (BEVACIZUMAB) FOR TREATMENT OF RELAPSED/REFRACTORY GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME AND ANAPLASTIC ASTROCYTOMA.

  
  PI: John Boockvar, MD (212) 746-1996
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Funding: Internal-Investigator Initiated
  Status: Enrolling
  
  Males or females, ≥18 years of age, with documented histologic diagnosis of relapsed or refractory glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) or anaplastic mixed oligoastrocytoma (AOA).
  
  Subjects will be treated with a previously tested, dose and schedule of Mannitol prior to chemotherapy infusion (Mannitol 25%; 3-10 mL/s for 30seconds) in order to disrupt the blood brain barrier. Following blood brain barrier disruption the subject will receive an intracranial superselective intrarterial cathertization and infusion with Avastin¨ (Bevacizumab) starting at a dose of 2mg/kg (diluted in 150ml; n=3 subjects per dose) up to a dose of 10mg/kg over 30 minutes. Both hematologic and non-hematologic toxicity will be determined and scored according to the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria (version 2.0). Subjects will then receive the standard Intravenous administration of Avastin and CPT-11 regimen every 2 weeks after their one-time intraarterial therapy with a superselective infusion.. The subject will receive Intravenous (IV) bevacizumab 10 mg/kg and irinotecan (CPT-11) 125mg/m2 every 14 days as is standard therapy for relapsing recurring GBM. Monitoring will be conducted by post procedure CT scan (at 6-12 hours post procedure), serial history, neurological and physical examinations together with serial blood counts, prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT) and chemistries. MRI will be performed every two cycles or approximately every two months.

• PHASE I TRIAL OF SUPER-SELECTIVE INTRAARTERIAL INTRACRANIAL INFUSION OF TEMOZOLAMIDE (TEMODAR) FOR TREATMENT OF NEWLY DIAGNOSED GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME AND ANAPLASTIC ASTROCYTOMA.

  
  PI: John Boockvar, MD (212) 746-1996
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Funding: Internal- Investigator Initiated
  Status: Enrolling
  
  The current standard of care for newly diagnosed GBM is chemoradiation. The chemotherapy used is Temodar by mouth starting at 75mg/m2 up to 150mg/m2. Because of the blood brain barrier (BBB) where drugs do not penetrate the blood vessel walls well to get into the brain, no one knows for sure if these oral drugs actually get into the brain after infusion. Previous studies have shown that if you want to increase your penetration of drug to the brain, that intra-carotid artery (intraarterial) delivery is superior to standard intravenous or oral delivery. Previous techniques using intra arterial (intracarotid) infusion still were non-selective as drug delivery still went to all blood vessels in the brain, so patients still had significant adverse events, such as blindness. Newer techniques in interventional neuroradiology have allowed for a more selective delivery of catheters higher up into the arterial tree where agents such as chemotherapies, can be delivered without the risk of adverse affects such as blindness. In fact, studies here at Cornell and MSKCC have developed very new and exciting super selective intraarterial delivery treatment for Pediatric Eye Tumors with little toxicity and a clinical trial of intraarterial delivery of Avastin is currently underway for GBM. Therefore, this trial will ask one simple question: Is it safe to delivery a dose of Temozolamide intrarterially using these super selective delivery techniques instead of the standard oral route of administration? This should not only increase the amount of drug that gets to the tumor but also spare the subject any adverse effects from a less selective delivery. Prior to that single dose of intraarterial Temozolamide, the subject will also receive a dose of mannitol that opens up the blood brain barrier to improve delivery of the agent to the brain. After that single dose of Mannitol and Temozolamide intrarterially, the subject will be evaluated for 4 weeks to assess for toxicity. After this point, the subject is done with the Òexperimental" aspects of the protocol. If no toxicity at this point, then the subject will go on and get their oral maintenance Temozolomide chemotherapy. In summary, this is a Phase I trial that is designed to test the safety of a single dose of intraarterial delivery of Temozolamide, prior to starting the subject's oral maintenance Temozolamide.

• PHASE I TRIAL OF SUPER-SELECTIVE INTRAARTERIAL INTRACRANIAL INFUSION OF ERBITUX (CETUXIMAB) FOR TREATMENT OF RELAPSED/REFRACTORY GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME AND ANAPLASTIC ASTROCYTOMA.

  
  PI: John Boockvar, MD (212) 746-1996
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Funding: Internal- Investigator Initiated
  Status: Enrolling
  
  There is no current standard of care for recurring GBM after patients receive Bevacizumab (Avastin) intravenously (IV) at 10mg/kg with CPT-11 (Irinotecan). At that point, these patients are deemed treatment failures and are given another experimental treatment. Because of the blood brain barrier (BBB) where IV drugs do not penetrate the blood vessel walls well to get into the brain, no one knows for sure if these IV drugs actually get into the brain after infusion. Previous studies have shown that if you want to increase your penetration of drug to the brain, that intra-carotid artery (intraarterial) delivery is superior to standard intravenous delivery. Previous techniques using intra arterial (intracarotid) infusion still were non-selective as drug delivery still went to all blood vessels in the brain, so patients still had significant adverse events, such as blindness. Newer techniques in interventional neuroradiology have allowed for a more selective delivery of catheters higher up into the arterial tree where agents such as chemotherapies, can be delivered without the risk of adverse affects such as blindness. In fact, studies here at Cornell and MSKCC have developed very new and exciting super selective intraarterial delivery treatment for Pediatric Eye Tumors with little toxicity and a clinical trial of intraarterial delivery of Avastin is currently underway for GBM. Therefore, this trial will ask one simple question: Is it safe to delivery a dose of Cetuximab intrarterially using these super selective delivery techniques instead of the standard intravenous route of administration? This should not only increase the amount of drug that gets to the tumor but also spare the patient any adverse effects from a less selective delivery. Prior to that single dose of intraarterial Cetuximab, the patient will also receive a dose of mannitol that opens up the blood brain barrier to improve delivery of the agent to the brain. After that single dose of Mannitol and Cetuximab intrarterially, the patient will be evaluated for 4 weeks to assess for toxicity. After this point, the patient ise done with the Òexperimental" aspects of the protocol. If no toxicity at this point, then the patient will go on and get their chosen chemotherapy as determined by their treating oncologist. In summary, this is a Phase I trial that is designed to test the safety of a single dose of intraarterial delivery of Mannitol and Cetuximab , prior to starting the patients next round of chosen chemotherapy.

• PHASE I/II TRIAL OF INTRAVENTRICULAR BEVACIZUMAB (AVASTIN) FOR TREATMENT OF LEPTOMENINGEAL METASTASIC DISEASE (NEOPLASTIC MENINGITIS).

  
  PI: John Boockvar, MD (212) 746-1996
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Funding: Internal- Investigator Initiated
  Status: Pending IRB

• PHASE I TRIAL OF SUPER-SELECTIVE INTRAARTERIAL INTRACRANIAL INFUSION OF AVASTIN (BEVACIZUMAB) FOR TREATMENT OF VESTIBUAR SCHWANNOMA

  
  PI: John Boockvar, MD (212) 746-1996
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Funding: Internal- Investigator Initiated
  Status: Enrolling
  
  This trial will ask one simple question: Is it safe to deliver a subject's first dose of Avastin intraarterially using these super-selective delivery techniques instead of the standard intravenous route of administration? This should not only increase the amount of drug that gets to the vestibular schwannoma (VS) but also spare the subject any adverse effects from a less selective delivery. During that single dose of intraarterial Avastin, the subject will also receive a dose of Mannitol that opens up the blood-brain barrier to improve delivery of the agent to the brain. After that single dose of Mannitol and Avastin intraarterially, the subject will be evaluated for 4 weeks to assess for toxicity. If no toxicity, then the subject will go on and get an MRI of the brain every two months to assess for response up to 12 months. After this he/she is done with the "experimental" aspects of the protocol. This is a Phase I trial that is designed to test the safety of the single dose intraarterial delivery of Avastin and Mannitol.

Pseudotumor Cerebri

• See IIH

Recurrent Brain Tumor Studies

• Superselective Intraarterial Cerebral Infusion of Bevacizumab (Avastin) for recurrent Malignant Glioma.

  
  Principle Investigator: John A. Boockvar, MD; Howard Riina, MD
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Status: Enrolling
  
  This trial is a Phase I trial designed to test the hypothesis that selective intraarterial infusion of Avastin (an antibody to VEGF) directly into the brain tumor is not only safe but effective in the treatment of either Glioblastoma Multiforme and Anaplastic Astrocytoma. Prior to starting standard intravenous (IV) Avastin, a patient will get a dose of Intraarterial Avastin directly into the brain at the tumor location. This is done via a cerebral angiogram using Interventional Neuroradiology. More information on the trial is available at ClinicalTrials.gov at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00968240.

• Superselective Intraarterial Cerebral Infusion of Cetuximab (Erbitux) for recurrent Malignant Glioma.

  
  Principle Investigator: John A. Boockvar, MD
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Status: Pending IRB Approvel
  
  This trial is a Phase I trial designed to test the hypothesis that selective intraarterial infusion of Cetuximab directly into the brain tumor is not only safe but effective in the treatment of either Glioblastoma Multiforme and Anaplastic Astrocytoma. Prior to starting there next round of chemotherapy, a patient will get a dose of Intraarterial Cetuximab directly into the brain at the tumor location. This is done via a cerebral angiogram using Interventional Neuroradiology. More information on the trial is available at ClinicalTrials.gov.

• Intrathecal Infusion of Bevacizumab (Avastin) for Neoplastic Meningitis (Leptomeningeal Disease)

  
  Principle Investigator: John A. Boockvar, MD
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Status: Pending
  
  This trial is a Phase I trial designed to test the hypothesis that Intrathecal infusion of Avastin (an antibody to VEGF) directly into the spinal fluid via an Ommaya Reservoir is not only safe but effective in the treatment of either Neoplastic Meningitis or Leptomeningeal spread of cancer. Prior to starting standard chemotherapy, a patient will get a dose of Intrathecal Avastin directly into the spinal fluid via an Ommaya Reservoir. More information on the trial is available at ClinicalTrials.gov.

• Phase I/II Trial of Erlotinib (Tarceva, OSI-774) for Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Glioblastoma Multiforme and Anaplastic Astrocytoma Description

  
  Principal Investigator: John Boockvar, MD
  Email: jab2029@nyp.org
  Status: Enrolling
  
  This study investigates the use of the drug, Erlotinib (Tarceva), in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma. Erlotinib belongs to a class of drugs called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Erlotinib is approved for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. A percentage of malignant brain tumors, such as glioblastoma multiforme and anaplastic astrocytoma, express EGFR and therefore, by inhibiting this receptor, we predict that we may be able to slow or arrest the growth of tumor. Previous studies using Erlotinib for malignant brain tumors have been performed at other institutions. Results of these studies indicate that Erlotinib is safe to use in patients with brain tumors and may also have anti-tumor effects. The specific objective is to determine the safety and effectiveness (rate of response and patient survival time) to oral Erlotinib in patients with and without the EGFRvIII and PTEN brain tumor mutation and to assess quality of life and survival.

Stenosis

Venous Sinus Stenosis

• Venous Sinus Stenting in Patients with Refractory Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH)

  
  See IIH

Intracranial Stenosis

• Wingspan Stent System with Gateway PTA balloon catheter (HDE)

  Intended for use in improving cerebral artery lumen diameter in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease, refractory to medical therapy, in intracranial arteries with greater than or equal to 50% stenosis.

• Retrospective Wingspan study

  This trial is to evaluate intracranial stenting for atherosclerotic disease in symptomatic patients with equal to or greater than 50% stenosis that received the Wingspan Stent System.

• SAMMPRIS trial (Stenting and Aggressive medical management for preventing recurrent stroke in intracranial stenosis)

Extracranial Stenosis (Carotid)

• CREST (Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting) trial

  This is a prospective, multi-centered, NIH-funded trial to compare the results of treating carotid stenosis with either carotid endarterectomy or carotid stenting.

• Capture 2

  A prospective, non-randomized multi-centered descriptive post-approval registry of carotid stents patients.

• SMART (Neuropsychological Functioning, Quality of Life and Cerebral Blood Flow in Carotid Stenting

  This is a study in which researchers at Weill Cornell want to determine if carotid stenting will increase the quality of life and cognitive functioning in patients with severe carotid stenosis (greater than or equal to 70%) due to the increase in cerebral blood flow following the procedure.

Stroke

• MR Recanalization of Stroke Clots Using Embolectomy (MR RESCUE)

  This study compares the effectiveness of the Concentric Retriever Device (CRD) to standard medical treatment and to identify people who might benefit from the device by appearance of the stroke on MRI. The trial is sponsored by the NIH and the National Institutes os Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Patients are randomized to either embolectomy or medical treatment depending on Inclusion and Exclusion criteria, and MRI.

• IA Chemotherapy

1. Intra-arterial Chemotherapy for Retinoblastoma study is for children with newly diagnosed stage 5 Retinoblastoma, which is a cancer of the retina, the membrane of the eye. By using selective ophthalmic artery injection of Melphalan, a chemotherapeutic agent, we can directly inject into the tumor to stop growth. The standard treatment would be enucleation (removal of the eye).
2. Selective Intra-arterial Chemotherapy in the treatment strategy of Metastatic Spine melanoma

Spine Surgery

Minimally invasive spinal fusion using transforaminal interbody fusion with unilateral pedicle screws and BMP for the treatment of single level degenerative disc disease. This study, led by Dr. John A. Boockvar, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, seeks to evaluate the clinical outcomes in patients who undergo this procedure. The outcome parameters studied include clinical outcome, fusion rates, hospital stay, operative time, complications, and economic costs.

Vestibular Schwannoma

• INTRAARTERIAL CHEMOTHERAPY FOR VESTIBULAR SCHWANNOMA (VS)

  Dr. John Boockvar will lead a new trial using intraarterial chemotherapy for vestibular schwannoma (VS). A recent study showed that IV Bevacizumab (trade name Avastin) treatment was followed by clinically meaningful hearing improvement, tumor-volume reduction, or both in some, but not all, patients with vestibular schwannoma who were at risk for complete hearing loss or brain-stem compression from growing VS. Because of these promising results in preliminary studies of IV Bevacizumab and because of our significant experience with the safety of intraarterial chemotherapy, this novel study will offer a safe treatment for patients with VS. This will be the only center in the United States where this trial is being offered. If you would like more information on the trial please call 212-746-1996 or email jab2029@med.cornell.edu or taw2015@med.cornell.edu.