What does it take to beat brain cancer? Well, that’s a million dollar question isn’t it–for Dr. John Ruge, finding ways to get innovative information into the hands of doctors and families within minutes could be one such way.
John Ruge, MD is not only a neurosurgeon in pediatrics at Advocate Children’s Hospital near Chicago, he is the founder of the brain cancer information sharing app Medeligo! He also happens to be the founder of the Advocate Midwest Children’s Brain Tumor Center, and chairman for Department of Neurosurgery Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Il.
He is credited with developing several new neurosurgical techniques including A technique of image guided brainstem tumor removal, Neuroendoscopic fenestration of quadrageminal cysts, and the first use of 5-ALA tumor dye in the USA being the first ever to use the tumor dye to assist in the resection of brain tumors in children.
In this episode, Dr. Ruge talks about the challenges of treating brain cancer, what he sees as being pivotal in recent years that may be a game changer as to how we get new treatments in the hands of doctors and patients quicker, and his app that may help all of this.
You can also support clinical trials in brain cancer by donating to Traphagen’s Trail Ride 4 Brain Cancer (click on the image to go to donation page).
Season 2 Sponsor:
Episode Sponsors:
Resources from SEASON 2 Ep. 6:
Articles/blogs:
Nature Communications Journal- A pediatric brain tumor atlas of genes deregulated by somatic genomic rearrangement,
American Association for Cancer Research- New Research Shows Promising Approaches for Brain Cancer Detection and Treatment,
Nature, Structural & Molecular Biology: The Use of ALA tumor dye in resection of pediatric brain tumors ,
Oncology Search Tool: Medeligo
Clinical Trials:
CURRENTLY RECRUITING! OncoSynergy and Moffit Cancer Center (FL)- Phase 1 Clinical Trial for Recurrent Glioblastoma,
CURRENTLY RECRUITING! Hillman Cancer Center- Olaparib in Treating Patients With Advanced Glioma, Cholangiocarcinoma, or Solid Tumors With IDH1 or IDH2 Mutations,
CURRENTLY RECRUITING! Roswell Cancer Center- SurVaxM Vaccine-Brain Cancer Immunotherapy
For more resources, visit our resource page here.

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