Prime Time Living 6.14.26 - Flipbook - Page 6
6
| Sunday, June 14, 2026
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When Research
Becomes Real Care
Y
oung, active and healthy, Becca was always planning her next travel adventure.
Focused on where to go and what to see next, she would often explore online
for a challenging mountain to ski or a scenic trail to hike. She never thought her
search would turn to finding information about glioblastoma, an aggressive and often
terminal brain cancer.
“I read that untreated the survival
rate is one to three months, and even
with treatment you are looking at about
18 months at best,” explains Becca,
whose diagnosis came after a series of
severe headaches.
More options. More hope.
At University of Maryland Medical
System, Becca wasn’t just a patient
with a devastating diagnosis. She was
seen as an individual, surrounded by a
team that understood what mattered
most to her. They were ready to offer
the most advanced care possible so
she could keep living life on her terms.
“One thing that unifies us as a team
is how we’re always looking for opportunities to bring patients into the future
of care and offer them new, exciting
clinical trials, especially those that have
been generated and developed here
at the University of Maryland,” says
Graeme Woodworth, MD, professor
and chair of neurosurgery at University
of Maryland School of Medicine. For
patients like Becca, that culture of
discovery, innovation and teaching can
translate into hope and a better chance
of survival.
After her diagnosis, Becca was
taken to the operating room, where
the tumor was completely removed
over the course of two surgeries. She
then began radiation and a pill form
of chemotherapy, but her care team
wasn’t stopping there. At University of
Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive
Cancer Center, an NCI-designated
comprehensive cancer center, patients
have access to more than 400 cancer
clinical trials.
Where research becomes real
care.
“My doctors were so excited about
the blood-brain barrier clinical trial and
how innovative it was,” explains Becca,
who was eligible for the focused ultrasound clinical trial for brain cancer.
After a ski trip that was fully supported and even endorsed by her care
team, Becca started the treatment that
opens the blood-brain barrier so chemotherapy can better reach the brain.
“The most basic way they explained
it was: you go into the MRI machine,
and they use ultrasound to open the
protective barrier around the brain,
activating bubbles so chemotherapy
can more effectively reach the tumor,”
says Becca.
The team at the University of
Maryland Medical System was the first
in the nation to use focused ultrasound
technology to open the blood brain
barrier for glioblastoma.
“Focused ultrasound is currently
approved to treat patients with the
neurodegenerative condition called
essential tremor, where we can reverse
the tremor condition,” explains Dr.
Woodworth. He is confident that, in the
future, focused ultrasound will become
a standalone field of medicine for diagnosing and treating a wide range of
conditions.
“This is just the beginning. By joining
the trial and continuing to share her
experience, Becca has done a huge
service to the neuro-oncology field
and has become a champion for better
treatments for this disease,” adds Dr.
Woodworth.
“The mental burden of cancer is no
more. Everyone should feel the hope I
felt. The team at University of Maryland
was outstanding. They gave me so
much confidence that I would beat this,
and I did. Five years later, I am here as
a glioblastoma survivor,” says Becca.
She has never stopped living her life
to the fullest. Today, Becca is planning
her next big travel adventure.
