Scripps Expands Brain Tumor Treatment and Research
Scripps Expands Brain Tumor Treatment and Research
Expert neuro-oncology team provides coordinated, patient-centered care
Tresa McGranahan, MD, PhD, Kenneth Shimizu, MD, Jeremy Ciporen, MD, and Chien Chen, MD, PhD, with Scripps Cancer Center, Scripps Clinic, come together in multidisciplinary clinics to share expertise and develop a personalized treatment plan for each patient.
When Scripps Cancer Center committed to expanding its neuro-oncology services, it recruited some of the top medical professionals in their field, including Jeremy Ciporen, MD, a neurosurgeon at Scripps Clinic and Tresa McGranahan, MD, PhD, a neuro-oncologist and researcher at Scripps Clinic.
But that was just the start. Expert nurses, sophisticated imaging and surgical equipment were also added. Most importantly, Scripps Cancer Center designed a program that puts the patient at the center of it all.
“We wanted to create a truly multidisciplinary clinic, where patients and families, in a single visit, can meet their radiation oncologist, neuro-oncologist, neurosurgeon and other care team members,” says Dr. Ciporen, who leads the newly launched William and Mary Jane Rohn Brain Tumor and Brain Metastases Clinical Care and Research Program. “Being diagnosed with a brain or spinal tumor is difficult; we want the care part to be as easy as possible.”
“It’s been essential for us to build out our research infrastructure and allow patients to participate in research. Philanthropy has been a huge part of that.” — Tresa McGranahan, MD, PhD
How philanthropy supports breakthrough cancer care
Philanthropy has helped Scripps purchase advanced intraoperative imaging to help surgeons avoid critical visual, motor and other structures. Functional motor mapping identifies brain areas that control specific movements.
Dr. Ciporen and his team are also conducting awake craniotomies, so clinicians can communicate directly with patients during surgery to ensure they remove as much tumor as possible while maintaining safe margins.
“Advanced technologies and techniques have really helped us do more for patients,” says Dr. Ciporen. “We’ve been able to restore neurological and visual deficits — patients who were essentially paralyzed have walked out of the hospital. Patients who had visual loss before surgery regained their vision following surgery. These advances have had a huge impact on quality of life.”
How Scripps simplifies brain tumor treatment process
Central nervous system tumors are some of the most complex conditions in medicine and often require several interventions. This means many patients and their families face multiple appointments with different specialists — sometimes in different cities — making it difficult for them to grasp the big picture. Scripps Cancer Center brings all these physicians together in one consult.
“It's quite onerous for patients to go from doctor to doctor rather than having one cohesive discussion,” says Dr. Ciporen. “We can have that conversation right here, so there’s transparency and they understand what’s going on. As physicians, we can express our individual perspectives, and patients can ask questions in real time, rather than waiting for their next appointment.”
Molecular testing for brain tumors
Though surgery is often necessary, Scripps has adopted a variety of techniques to better assess a patient’s disease and hopefully find medical alternatives. One important step is molecular testing to provide the most precise diagnoses and treatment options.
“We’re not just looking at tumors under the microscope, we’re sequencing them to identify key molecular markers,” adds Dr. Ciporen. “By performing these advanced tests, we can find the variations that drive tumors, providing more information to personalize treatment.”
Balancing tumor treatment and brain preservation
Dr. McGranahan, director of Scripps Cancer Center’s neuro-oncology program, is a multidisciplinary specialist with laboratory and clinical training in neuroscience, oncology, neurology and neuro-oncology. Uniting these disciplines gives her a unique perspective on treating challenging cancers.
“These conditions are difficult because the brain is both important and fragile,” says Dr. McGranahan. “We have to be extra careful when we’re performing surgery or administering chemotherapy or radiation. We need to find ways to attack the tumor without hurting the healthy brain around it.”
Clinical trials and research driving innovation
Dr. McGranahan and her colleagues have adopted three tracks to improve care.
The first are clinical trials. These are critical to finding new ways to treat brain tumors both with new drugs and repurposing approved medications to fight brain cancer.
The second is retrospective research. This allows us to learn from prior patient experiences to optimize future patient care.
The third is protecting the brain to try to identify which patients are at higher risk for brain injury so that they can develop treatments to preserve nervous tissue.
This multidisciplinary research is targeted to provide personalized, cutting-edge care to guide patient treatment.
“My research is focused on better understanding how we can monitor and protect brain function in patients who have known brain cancer, as well as cancers in the body that are impacting their thinking,” Dr. McGranahan says.
“Being diagnosed with a brain or spinal tumor is difficult; we want the care part to be as easy as possible.” — Jeremy Ciporen, MD, who leads the newly launched William and Mary Jane Rohn Brain Tumor and Brain Metastases Clinical Care and Research Program.
Hope through brain cancer research
Research leads to life-saving innovations, and continuing research is the key to better outcomes. Just a few years ago, there were limited options for treating melanoma that metastasized to the brain. Fast forward to 2025 and immunotherapies have changed that equation. Now, many patients with melanoma brain metastasis can be considered not just treated, but cured.
At this time, glioblastoma still has limited treatment options, like melanoma once did. Scripps neuro-oncology research program is working to increase the options for glioblastoma and other serious brain cancers.
“It’s been essential for us to build out our research infrastructure and allow patients to participate in research,” Dr. McGranahan says. “Philanthropy has been a huge part of that.”
Minimally invasive neurosurgery with advanced technology
Dr. Ciporen has embraced minimally invasive endoscopic techniques to treat tumors around the pituitary gland, brainstem, optic nerve and other sensitive areas.
With philanthropic support from Bill and Janie Rohn and other donors, the surgical team has also adopted sophisticated brain mapping techniques.
“We team up with our neurophysiologist to monitor and stimulate the brain in surgery and make sure we’re accessing the tumor through a safe corridor,” says Dr. Ciporen. “The patient is under constant monitoring to ensure they’re OK and it's safe to continue.”
This content appeared in San Diego Health, a publication in partnership between Scripps and San Diego Magazine that celebrates the healthy spirit of San Diego.
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