Why is brain cancer so hard to treat?

A pioneer of cancer neuroscience explains how brain cancer develops, the role of the nervous system, and what might lead to new treatments.

Brain cancers are rare, but devastating. Patients face short life expectancies after diagnosis. Brain tumors are often impossible to remove completely. And radiation and chemotherapy don’t always stop them from spreading. 

It’s a daunting class of disease to study, but that didn’t dissuade Michelle Monje from trying. She has spent two decades studying how brain tumors form and interact with healthy brain cells, and pioneered the field of cancer neuroscience. 

Guest:

Dr. Michelle Monje is a professor of pediatric neuro-oncology at Stanford Medicine. 

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