The Brain Tumor Center at Duke

The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke in Durham, North Carolina, is dedicated entirely to the treatment and cure of brain and/or spinal cord tumors in children and adults.

Co-directors Henry S. Friedman, MD, and Allan Friedman, MD, combine administrative talents with clinical expertise and research endeavors to lead a team of over 100 professionals in their quest to provide state-of-the-art treatment and improved quality of life for patients with brain tumors and their families.

Housed within the brain tumor facility is the Tug McGraw Research Center for Neuro-Oncology Quality of Life Research at Duke. The role of the Tug McGraw Research Center is to pioneer research into quality-of-life decisions that accompany brain cancer.

The Brain Tumor Center at Duke, established in 1937, was one of the first brain tumor research and clinical programs in the U.S. and has one of the leading pediatric and adult neuro-oncology programs in the world. The center was the first in the nation designated as a Specialized Research Center for Malignant Gliomas and Medulloblastomas by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and it continues to make major advances in curing brain and spinal tumors. In 2004, Duke was awarded one of only four Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) awards in brain cancer in the nation from the National Cancer Institute. Currently, more than 2,000 patients from around the world are treated at the center.