John "J.J." Christian's headaches became so intense in the early 1990s, the healthy-looking college student on a football scholarship literally begged a physician to try to find the cause. He had been to "doctor after doctor," over the course of several years, but the headaches and vision disturbances were typically dismissed as nothing to worry about, a symptom of depression, or possibly a problem that could be remedied with reading glasses.
In desperation, Christian finally told one physician, "I've been to five doctors this week. I'm begging you, please help me. I know you guys don't think I'm hurting, but I am." An X-ray led to an MRI, which revealed a pituitary tumor that had been slowly growing for three or four years to reach the size of a grapefruit
The pituitary gland, situated beneath the brain, controls the production of a variety of hormones. Christian's was virtually engulfed by the tumor, which also was affecting arteries and nerves. He had double-vision and could no longer drive. His left eye was basically closed, and his right eye was nearly closed because the tumor was pressing against the optic nerve. "I had been basically living on pain pills for probably the last six months or year," Christian remembers.
The first surgeons he consulted offered hope but at a high physical price. "They told me they were going to take my face off and I'd have to learn to read and write again," he says. But his girlfriend -- now his wife, Nicole -- suggested he contact Keith L. Black, M.D., a neurosurgeon she had heard about who at the time was at the University of California, Los Angeles.
On Dec. 15, 1993, a surgical team led by Dr. Black approached the tumor through Christian's mouth and nasal passages. In a nine-hour operation, they removed as much tumor as possible without risking injury to vital structures such as nerves and arteries. A year later, he underwent stereotactic radiosurgery, a procedure that delivers a large dose of radiation to a tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
Today, Christian has regular follow-ups with an endocrinologist and Dr. Black and undergoes an annual MRI to monitor the tumor. But the information technology manager for a consulting engineering firm says his life couldn't be much better. He and his wife of nearly eight years -- high-school sweethearts -- bought a house in Henderson, Nev., near Las Vegas, and they recently adopted a baby boy who Christian describes as "just a handsome little fellow" approaching eight months of age.
Christian says he is grateful for the time Dr. Black spent with him before surgery in 1993, answering his questions and providing reassurance at a very scary time. "I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me and my family."
On June 7, Christian plans to attend a one-day brain tumor conference in Las Vegas presented by Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, a patient care and research organization Dr. Black founded in 1997. While the Institute provides treatment for all types of injuries and diseases affecting the brain, it is one of the nation's top centers for brain tumor research and treatment. Dr. Black and his colleagues often receive referrals for extremely challenging cases from around the world.
"Toward a Cure: New Advances in Adult Brain Tumor Treatment, A Conference for Patients, Families and Caregivers" will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, 3000 Paradise Road, and will feature specialists in neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and complementary therapies.
Institute researchers continue to discover molecular and genetic mechanisms that enable brain tumor cells to generate, proliferate and resist challenge by the immune system. They also have developed therapies that in early studies appear to spare healthy tissue while effectively killing cancer cells -- even tracking and destroying those that migrate from the tumor itself.
In his keynote presentation, "From Bench to Bedside: The Newest Research and the Latest Therapies for Brain Tumor Treatment," Dr. Black will describe these and other findings that have been in the news and on the cover of medical journals in recent months. Other topics will include the latest computerized brain-mapping technology, significant advances in radiation therapy, diet and alternative medicine approaches, and methods for regaining a normal life after treatment for a brain tumor.
Another conference scheduled for Oct. 11, 2003 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles will be expanded to include information on both adult and pediatric brain tumors. To pre-register for that conference, please call 1-800-233-2771 (1-800-CEDARS-1).
Christian says he's interested in learning about new, aggressive techniques that may help patients as early as possible. He does volunteer work at a local hospital in an effort to offer others the encouragement he had a hard time finding 10 years ago. "I was pretty stressed when nobody would ever help me," he says. "I thought, 'I'm going to die at 19 years old' because I was hurting so bad. I thought maybe I could share that experience with somebody else and it might give them some hope."
Cedars-Sinai is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the Western United States. For the fifth straight two-year period, it has been named Southern California's gold standard in health care in an independent survey. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnostic and treatment capabilities and its broad spectrum of programs and services, as well as breakthroughs in biomedical research and superlative medical education. Named one of the 100 "Most Wired" hospitals in health care in 2001, the Medical Center ranks among the top 10 non-university hospitals in the nation for its research activities.
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