Fairview-University Transitional Services , including an inpatient hospice service. Approximately 200 brain tumor patients were treated by Dr. Mullan and his team in 1998. He is very well respected in the Twin Cities medical community. As a result of these connections and the capabilities of the program, between 1997 and 1998, brain tumor patient volume grew about one third from 150 to 200 surgical cases. With additional resources, further expansion of the program is very possible.
Vaccination relies on the ability of the immune system to recognize foreign protein.
Once proteins are identified, a systemic immune response can remove the offending proteins. Anticancer vaccination in rats has been developed in preparation for a phase I human trial. Unlike viral vaccines, anticancer vaccines require modification of the cancer cell to make it recognizable by the immune system. After surgical removal of a brain tumor, these cells must be exposed in order to alter their antigen expression. Before re-implantation, tumor cells are killed by irradiation.