The Hermelin Brain Tumor Center at Henry Ford has long been a national leader in brain tumor therapies and advanced research. The Hermelin Brain Tumor Center's mission aims to provide patients new hope through state-of-the-art therapies and research that focuses on how to turn life-threatening brain tumors into a chronic controllable disease like diabetes.
The Center was founded in honor of David Hermelin, who was a vital businessman and philanthropist in Michigan as well as nationally as a U.S. Ambassador to Norway.
When David Hermelin was diagnosed with brain cancer and treated at Henry Ford Hospital, his family and friends donated $10 million to help advance brain tumor research and speed the translation of research discoveries into new therapies for brain cancer patients. This support has led to better understanding of the genetics of brain tumors, why and how the tumor cells grow, and to the development of therapies matched to each patient's brain tumor genetics for the best chance at recovery.
Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
Appointments: The Hermelin Brain Tumor Center at Henry Ford offers guaranteed patient appointments with a neurosurgeon or neuro-oncologist within 24 hours. Within the same week, a comprehensive treatment plan is designed and tailored to the needs of the patient and family. The team accepts brain tumor patients at any point of entry in the care plan process and provides immediate access to the most thorough and advanced care and services. Assistance with second opinions, entire management including surgery or primary postoperative care is available.
Diagnosis: Brain tumors, like people, each have their own fingerprint and come in many different shapes, sizes, characteristics, and origins. The key to treatment planning involves accurate diagnosis of tumor type and design of therapies aimed at that specific tumor type.
The Hermelin Brain Tumor Center provides a wide range of diagnostic tests preoperatively, intraoperatively and postoperatively. These include pathology and genetic analyses of brain tumor tissue, magnetoencephalography (MEG) and 3-T MRI functional mapping to help define exactly where the tumor is in relation to the patient's eloquent brain centers, electroencephalography (EEG), Wada studies, neuropsychological assessments, and speech-language evaluations. 3D-MR spectroscopy and 3D neuro-imaging for intraoperative guidance, neural monitoring of the brain and spinal cord during tumor resections, and special procedures such as awake craniotomies with speech and motor function brain mapping are used to provide each patient the safest surgery with maximum tumor removal while preserving quality of life functions.
Treatment Planning: Every Wednesday, the Henry Ford brain tumor team meets to discuss each brain tumor patient's diagnostic studies, any past or current therapies, and current medical state to thoroughly evaluate and plan the course of treatment for each patient. This weekly multidisciplinary conference is one of the busiest in the nation and includes 20 medical professionals from different specialties.
