It is easy for me to remember that May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month, since events during this month inspired me to become a neuro-oncologist. In May 2005, a dear friend began having difficulty finding the right words during conversations at work and then at home. A regular and powerful performer at the Omaha Community Playhouse, his family and friends had never before seen him at a loss for words.
Ultimately, he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, and despite receiving excellent care, he died in May 2006. Although Nebraska has a great number of excellent oncologists, we didn’t have a single fellowship-trained neuro-oncologist in the state at the time of his diagnosis. This inspired me to finish my oncology training and pursue an additional Neuro-Oncology fellowship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, after which I returned to Omaha.
Fortified with a world-renowned Oncology program and a nationally recognized Neurology department, Nebraska Medicine and its teaching/research partner, the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), possess two essential ingredients with which to build a Neuro-Oncology program: academic potential and a wide geographic referral base. On this foundation, we are working to build a Neuro-Oncology program that is based on exceptional patient care, and collaborative basic science, with translational and clinical research.
Although all cancer patients face their mortality with their diagnosis, the patient with brain cancer also has to face his or her fear of losing their very identity. Due to the amazing complexity of the human brain, a large impact on a patient’s personality, speech, vision and movement may be a matter of only a few millimeters of tumor spread. It is that aspect in particular that makes this field so challenging.
I am continually humbled and inspired by the great courage with which my patients and their families face the diagnosis of a brain tumor. Caring for my patients continually renews my commitment to improve their lives and ultimately find a cure.
To schedule an appointment at Nebraska Medicine with Dr. Nicole Shonka, call 800.922.0000.