Dr. Brian Lawenda

08/14/2026

It was a pleasure to speak at the HCA Fawcett Hospital Neurosciences Conference on CNS and Spine Oncology: Radiotherapy Decisions.

Neuro-oncology has changed dramatically. Today, the question is often not simply whether radiation works, but when to use it, when to defer it, and how to achieve the best tumor control while protecting neurologic function and quality of life.

I discussed practical decision-making across brain metastases, gliomas, meningiomas, primary CNS lymphoma, pituitary tumors, radiation necrosis, and spinal metastases, including how molecular biology, modern systemic therapies, surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, and spine SBRT are reshaping treatment.

One of the themes I tried to emphasize throughout the talk was that the best radiation oncology decision is not always to give more radiation. Sometimes it means treating more precisely. Sometimes it means treating differently. And sometimes it means knowing when not to radiate.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to share these cases and advances with colleagues from across the neuroscience community. Thank you to Fawcett Hospital for the invitation and for putting together a terrific conference.

08/10/2026

Each of us discussed the potential role of using sophisticated cancer DNA 🧬 blood testing (Signatera) in following our patients after cancer treatment to help guide imaging surveillance and additional treatment management decisions.

08/03/2026

Osteoarthritis pain does not always mean more injections or joint replacement.

Low-dose radiation therapy is a painless, noninvasive treatment that uses a radiation dose much lower than what we use to treat cancer. Here, the goal is completely different: to reduce the inflammation contributing to chronic joint pain and stiffness.

There are no needles, no anesthesia, and no recovery time. Most patients receive six brief treatments over three weeks, and each visit takes only a few minutes.

Improvement is usually gradual, but many appropriately selected patients experience meaningful pain relief, better mobility, and less interference with everyday life. Treatment does not prevent future injections or joint replacement if they are eventually needed, and it is covered by Medicare and most major insurance policies.

For patients who have not received enough relief from medications, physical therapy, or injections, low-dose radiation may be an important nonsurgical option they have not yet been offered.

At Advocate Radiation Oncology, we use advanced technology and extraordinary precision to deliver effective treatment with minimal disruption to your life.

If osteoarthritis pain is limiting how you walk, sleep, exercise, or enjoy your life, contact Advocate Radiation Oncology today and ask whether low-dose radiation therapy may be right for you. AdvocateRO.com

Video: https://youtu.be/pgIWQWSDYIc

Osteoarthritis pain does not always mean more injections or joint r...

07/31/2026

A diabetes drug may be doing more than lowering blood sugar.

In a large matched study of women with breast cancer and type 2 diabetes after mastectomy, SGLT2 inhibitor use was associated with a 32% lower risk of distant metastasis compared with other glucose-lowering medications.

The strongest signals were:

* 54% lower liver metastasis
* 45% lower lung metastasis
* 42% lower bone metastasis

The absolute reduction in distant metastasis was 1.8% at 4–5 years.

Among the individual drugs studied, empagliflozin had the strongest association.

Important caveat: this was an observational target-trial emulation, not a randomized trial. So this does not prove SGLT2 inhibitors prevent breast cancer from spreading.

But the signal is strong enough to be interesting, especially as we continue to learn how metabolism and cancer progression are connected.

https://dgnews.docguide.com/article/sglt2-inhibitors-linked-to-lower-risk-of-distant-metastasis-in-breast-cancer-with-type-2-diabetes

07/30/2026

Could Vi**ra help make cancer less likely to spread?

A new 2026 Cancer Research study raises that possibility.

Researchers found that blocking PDE5A, the pathway targeted by sildenafil (Vi**ra), may make the tumor microenvironment less favorable for metastasis.

The study showed:

• Less metastatic spread in preclinical models
• Less cancer cell migration and invasion
• A 22% lower risk of death associated with sildenafil use in real-world patient data
• An even stronger survival signal when sildenafil and statins were used together

The mechanism is especially interesting. PDE5A inhibition appears to reprogram myeloid immune cells and disrupt cholesterol trafficking that may help metastatic tumors establish themselves.

This is not proof that Vi**ra prevents metastasis in patients. The human data are observational, and prospective trials are still needed.

But this is exactly the kind of drug-repurposing signal I think deserves serious attention.

Interesting biology. Encouraging data. Not ready for routine use, but absolutely worth studying.

https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/doi/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-26-1818/786876/PDE5a-Inhibition-Restricts-Cancer-Metastasis-by

07/29/2026

Dr. Nagourney is one of the most brilliant medical oncologists I know 🙌🏻

07/29/2026

STATINS AND LIVER CANCER: A SURPRISING SURVIVAL SIGNAL

A new 2026 study in Cancers found a striking association between statin use and survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer.

Researchers followed 190 patients with HCC. Among those with survival data, patients who were already taking a statin before their cancer diagnosis lived substantially longer:

🔹 Median survival with statins: 57 months
🔹 Median survival without statins: 31 months

In the initial analysis, statin use was associated with about a 55% lower risk of death (HR 0.45). Even after adjusting for liver function, cancer stage, portal vein invasion and treatment era, the survival association remained significant, with hazard ratios ranging from approximately 0.36–0.44.

Why might statins matter?

Beyond lowering cholesterol, statins have anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects and inhibit the mevalonate pathway, which is involved in cancer-cell signaling, proliferation, angiogenesis and survival. There is already accumulating observational evidence linking statins with a reduced risk of developing HCC.

⚠️ Important caveat: This was a retrospective, single-center study, and only 42 patients were taking statins. It does not prove that starting a statin will extend survival after a liver cancer diagnosis. Confounding factors could still explain some of the benefit.

But a median survival difference of 57 vs. 31 months is certainly enough of a signal to justify prospective studies.

This is another example of why I think we should continue studying inexpensive, widely available medications not only for their original indications, but also for their potential role as adjuncts to conventional cancer treatment.

Interesting signal. Not yet a new standard of care. But definitely worth watching.

Study: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/18/13/2138

07/28/2026

When a tumor is in the brain, precision is everything.

Stereotactic radiosurgery, or SRS, uses multiple highly focused radiation beams that converge precisely on the tumor, delivering a powerful treatment while protecting as much healthy brain as possible.

Despite its name, there is no incision, no anesthesia, and usually no hospital stay. Treatment is typically completed in just one to five outpatient visits.

SRS can achieve approximately 90 percent or greater control for many benign brain tumors, including meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, and selected pituitary tumors.

It can also treat carefully selected malignant primary brain tumors, particularly when a tumor returns after previous treatment.

And when cancer spreads to the brain, SRS can precisely treat one or multiple metastases without requiring whole brain radiation therapy, helping preserve memory and cognitive function in appropriately selected patients.

At Advocate Radiation Oncology, we work closely with neurosurgeons, medical oncologists, and other specialists to develop a coordinated treatment approach tailored to each patient.

Because when treatment involves the brain, every millimeter matters.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, ask whether stereotactic radiosurgery may be an option. Contact Advocate Radiation Oncology today to schedule a consultation and learn more.

When a tumor is in the brain, every millimeter matters. Stereotacti...

07/27/2026

This is SBRT, one of the most powerful and precise ways we can treat tumors in the lungs.

Multiple radiation beams converge directly on the tumor, delivering an ablative dose while protecting as much healthy lung as possible.

There is no incision, no anesthesia, and treatment is usually completed in just three to five visits.

For early-stage lung cancer, SBRT controls approximately 90 to 95 percent of tumors. It is often chosen for patients with limited lung function or those who may not safely tolerate surgery.

In the STARS study, five-year survival was 87 percent with SBRT, compared with 84 percent following minimally invasive surgery in a matched group of patients.

SBRT can also treat a limited number of metastases to the lungs from many different cancer types. In the landmark SABR-COMET trial, treating all visible metastases increased five-year survival from approximately 18 percent to 42 percent in carefully selected patients.

At Advocate Radiation Oncology, we use advanced technology and extraordinary precision to deliver powerful treatment with minimal disruption to your life.

If you or someone you love has early-stage lung cancer or cancer that has spread to the lungs, contact Advocate Radiation Oncology today to learn whether SBRT may be an appropriate treatment option.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/T--8i87m8TQ

07/27/2026

I came across this incredible list on another cancer community page, where patients, survivors, caregivers, and loved ones shared the songs that have meant the most to them.

Some are about strength. Some are about fear, grief, hope, faith, and survival. Every one of them tells a story.

Here are the songs they shared, starting with the most popular:

1. Live Like You Were Dying — Tim McGraw
2. It’s My Life — Bon Jovi
3. Lean on Me — Bill Withers
4. Learning to Fly — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
5. My Way — Frank Sinatra
6. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart — Taylor Swift
7. The Sound of Silence — Disturbed
8. 26 — Paramore
9. Scars to Your Beautiful — Alessia Cara
10. Never Gonna Not Dance Again — P!nk
11. Pink Skies — Zach Bryan
12. I Hate Cancer — John Schneider
13. I Am Not Okay — Jelly Roll
14. Fire and Rain — James Taylor
15. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) — Kelly Clarkson
16. Dream On — Aerosmith
17. Rise Up — Andra Day
18. Don’t Give Up on Me — Andy Grammer
19. Lion — Elevation Worship
20. Lift Me Up — Rihanna
21. Helium — Sia
22. Help! — The Beatles
23. I’m Still Standing — Elton John
24. I Will Survive — Gloria Gaynor
25. If It Were Up to Me — Ben Fuller
26. You’re on Your Own, Kid — Taylor Swift
27. When I Meet God — Marillion
28. Wires — Athlete
29. I’m No Stranger to the Rain — Keith Whitley
30. Lose Control — Teddy Swims
31. No One Like the Lord — Bethel Music
32. Speaking Terms — Snail Mail
33. Trust Me — Richard Smallwood
34. 365 — Shinedown
35. Unstoppable — Sia
36. Fix You — Coldplay
37. Résiste — France Gall
38. Survive — Lewis Capaldi
39. Trustfall — P!nk
40. Everybody Hurts — R.E.M.
41. Search for the Hero — M People
42. Dynamite — BTS
43. Chrysanthème — Ärsenik
44. Enter One — Sol Seppy
45. Demain, c’est loin — IAM
46. Fight Song — Rachel Platten
47. Something Just Like This — The Chainsmokers and Coldplay
48. Push It — Salt-N-Pepa
49. All I Want for Christmas Is You — Mariah Carey
50. I Am Not Alone — Kari Jobe
51. Landslide — Fleetwood Mac, sung by Stevie Nicks

Now I want to build a new playlist from this page.

What song has meant the most to you during your cancer journey, or while supporting someone you love?

Please add the song title and artist in the comments (or agree with any of the above song). I’ll compile your suggestions into a playlist for our community. 🎶❤️🎗️