Precision Teamwork for Metastasized Brain Tumor Provides a New Lease on Life

When five-year-old Arusha Pratt was referred to the Pediatric Brain and Spinal Cord Tumor Center in 1997, she was diagnosed with a malignant pineoblastoma, “It was a small and technically challenging tumor in a bad place,” explains David Frim, MD, PhD, chief of the Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

Dr. Frim collaborated with pediatric oncologist Charles Rubin, MD, to address Arusha’s cancer through an innovative approach to treatment that included endoscopic biopsy and stem cell transplant.

Arusha Pratt

Dr. Frim began by performing the endoscopic biopsy of the tumor, which was less invasive than an open craniotomy. When the biopsy revealed a malignant tumor and MRI scans showed that the disease had spread through the central nervous system from the brain to the spine, Drs. Frim and Rubin decided to treat Arusha aggressively.

“We began a neo-adjuvant approach, using five cycles of chemotherapy to shrink her tumor in order that it could be removed safely and effectively,” says Dr. Rubin. Because the chemotherapy shrunk the tumor away from critical structures deep in the brain, Dr. Frim was able to surgically remove the pineoblastoma completely through a craniotomy without the slightest injury or trauma to Arusha’s brain.

Stem cells were harvested from Arusha’s blood for an autologous stem cell transplant to rebuild bone marrow and to counter the side effects of the high-dose chemotherapy used to kill remaining cancer cells. Once the transplant was complete, the final step for Arusha was radiation therapy administered five days a week for six weeks.

Today, Arusha, who would not have survived without immediate treatment, is a 15-year-old cancer-free high school student. She continues to visit the University of Chicago Medical Center’s Childhood Cancer Survivors Center for help with managing the long-term health issues associated with her treatment.

Arusha’s mother, Georgette Pratt, is enthusiastic about her daughter’s progress. “She graduated from grammar school with honors, and she enjoys reading and playing basketball. Our family appreciates everyone at the Medical Center. They always make sure she gets the right care.”