A collaboration of Norton Cancer Institute and Norton Neuroscience Institute
The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 35,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a brain tumor each year. Learning you have a brain tumor can change your life and the lives of your loved ones. At the Brain Tumor Center, our goal is to provide the latest multidisciplinary care techniques and the most advanced therapies along with the support patients and families need to cope with what can be a frightening diagnosis.
The Brain Tumor Center combines the clinical expertise of specialists who are highly trained at leading research institutions with tailored support services to provide patients with one convenient location for all their treatment needs – physical, emotional and spiritual.
The Brain Tumor Center is a collaboration between Norton Cancer Institute and Norton Neuroscience Institute. The center’s fellowship-trained team of specialists is comprised of a neurosurgeon, neuro-oncologist and radiation oncologist. This team provides convenient, improved and expedited care in a collegial environment where all caregivers collaborate on the best course of treatment.
Treatment options
There are several brain tumor treatment options. At the Brain Tumor Clinic, patients work alongside a neuro-oncologist, neurosurgeon and radiation oncologist to determine a care plan that best meets their individual needs. The care plan may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or an individualized combination of these. The choice of treatment may depend on the following:
The physicians of the Brain Tumor Center are trained to treat a variety of different brain tumors including all primary and metastatic brain tumors using one or more of the following procedures or treatments:
Fusion of multiple imaging modalities, such as MRI, CT or PET screenings) for optimal accurate target and normal tissue definition
Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of the brain and spine
Surgical removal and/or biopsy of brain tumor
Medical management
Advanced clinical trials
The Brain Tumor Center may be able to provide advanced, leading edge treatments and clinical trials without patients and families having to leave the Louisville area. Many innovative National Cancer Institute and industry-sponsored clinical trials are available through Norton Cancer Institute. As a top-enrolling site in innovative industry-sponsored studies, Norton Cancer Institute has made remarkable strides and discoveries through participation in such trials. These breakthroughs hold promise for patients by improving the ability of our cancer specialists to target and detect cancers early, while they are the most curable.
Support services
Norton Cancer Institute Resource Centers
Three area Norton Cancer Institute Resource Centers provide comfort, support and information at no cost to patients and families. Services include:
Community groups to provide emotional support and educational counseling
Free classes and seminars by leading professionals on cancer-related topics
Private educational sessions with oncology-certified nurses
Massage therapy
Art therapy
Nutritional counseling
Wigs/turbans
Clinical trial searches
Lending library
Behavioral oncology Norton Cancer Institute’s Behavioral Oncology Program is designed to provide supportive, emotional and psychological care for patients diagnosed with brain tumors and their families. Professional counseling is provided by a specially trained nurse practitioner who works to alleviate the stress that comes along with a cancer diagnosis. Through interactions with the counselor, patients learn coping techniques to guide them through this challenging time.
Oral pharmacy services The oral pharmacy offers specialized expertise, integrated support programs and convenient access to prescriptions. Special services include pharmacist consultations and a toll-free number for questions, individually tailored therapies, a refill reminder program and 24- to 72-hour mail delivery of medications. The oral pharmacy also offers follow-up treatment counseling and help with applying for financial assistance.
Financial counseling
Because the Brain Tumor Center is part of Norton Healthcare, it is guided by the same faith-based mission of caring for the sick and injured in the community. This care includes helping patients make arrangements to pay their bills in a compassionate, friendly way. We understand that making financial arrangements for health care services can be stressful, and we are committed to ensuring your peace of mind. If you would like to speak with one of our financial counselors, call (502) 629-HOPE.
Dr. Spalding completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. He earned a doctorate in pharmacology during medical school at the University of Colorado. His post-doctoral fellowship focused on combining experimental cancer therapies with radiation. Dr. Spalding completed a pediatric radiation oncology fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He provides multidisciplinary radiation treatment for children and adults.
Dr. Vitaz earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati, where he also completed his internship. He completed his residency at the University of Louisville and a fellowship in neurosurgical oncology at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Vitaz is certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
Dr. Wagner completed a yearlong fellowship at the Duke University Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and a medical oncology/hematology fellowship at the University of Louisville, where she earned the distinction of chief fellow. Dr. Wagner is one of few oncologists formally trained in neuro-oncology for adults in the nation and, currently, the only one in Kentucky.
The Brain Tumor Center is located on Norton Healthcare’s downtown medical campus on the fourth floor of Norton Healthcare Pavilion, 315 E. Broadway.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the Brain Tumor Center at (502) 629-2515.
