Dr. Ahluwalia on Using Precision Medicine to Treat Brain Metastases

Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, FACP, Miller Family Endowed Chair in Neuro-Oncology and Head of Operations, Burkhardt Brain Tumor NeuroOncology Center, discuses a new classification system for brain metastases.

Tumors are now classified based on molecular profiling, rather than the grade of the tumor. This allows oncologists to take a precision medicine approach to treatment, and use targeted therapies to go after actionable mutations, says Ahluwalia.

The goal is to minimize the toxicities of treatment while maximizing the benefit, he adds.

Patients with brain metastases are unique, says Ahluwalia, as patients have many different primary tumors. Lung cancer is the most common cause of brain metastases.

Every patient should be treated differently, and their extracranial disease as well as the disease of the brains should be considered.

The patient should also be treated with a multidisciplinary approach.

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