Drs. Mark Rosenblum and Manuel Brown

Traffic Case Leads
To Cancer Drug

I

was in absolute terror at the prospect of dying,"
says Stuart Brickner, a West Bloomfield resident
and township trustee who made local headlines
when he was ticketed in August 2005 for driving
erratically on the way home from a township meet-
ing.
The erratic driving turned out to be the result of
"a huge tumor pressing on my brain stem," Brickner
says.
Although emergency surgery at Providence
Hospital in Southfield relieved the immediate pres-
sure, "I was looking at the prospect of having a year
to live."
He and his wife, Maxine, began a search for post-
operative treatment that would attack the tumor
itself.
After hours of research, his family and friends
suggested going to the Henry Ford Neuroscience
Institute's Hermelin Brain Tumor Center and "try to
get into a trial," Brickner says.
"I want the most aggressive form of treating
this disease," he told the doctors at the Hermelin

34

January 25 a 2007

Center in the downtown Henry Ford Hospital. The
"After five weeks, they did an MRI and it was per-
center was founded in 1999 by Eugene and Marcia
fect," Brickner says. "They couldn't believe it. They
Applebaum and William and Karen Davidson in honor
were ecstatic and suddenly I had a new lease on
of the late Detroit-area philanthropist and business-
life."
man David Hermelin.
He continues to receive treatment twice a week at
Brickner's tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (aka
Henry Ford West Bloomfield's outpatient facility.
GBM), strikes about 20,000 people in the United
Brickner, who as a township trustee was part
States per year, according to Dr. Tom Mikkelsen,
of the hearing and approval process for the West
who co-directs the tumor center with Dr. Mark
Bloomfield center's upcoming expansion to a 300-
Rosenblum. The median survival
bed hospital, says he didn't dream
rate is about 11 months.
how important it would be to his
Brickner is the first person
own life.
to participate in a clinical trial
The Neuroscience Institute is just
for newly diagnosed patients,
one aspect of the new hospital, says
Rosenblum says. His treatment
Rosenblum, who is its vice presi-
combines a new drug, Cilengitide,
dent for clinical programs. "It will
with the standard treatment of
also include our Heart and Vascular
radiation and chemotherapy.
Institute, the Josephine Ford Cancer
The drug has been used before
Center, our Bone and Joint Center,
in patients who have failed
a Digestive Disorders Center, a
standard treatments, Mikkelsen
Woman's Health Center, a Center for
says. "We have one patient who
Innovative Surgery and a Wellness
has recently passed the two-
Center."
year mark of treatment with
"The fact is that this is the hospi-
Cilengitide, which he started only
tal in my backyard that I helped to
after his tumor grew back after
plan," Brickner says. "It's taken on a
standard treatment."
Cancer survivor Stuart Brickner
very personal aspect."