When William Hart received a diagnosis of glioblastoma, he was scared. As a retired firefighter and a shooting instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Hart had spent his life relying on his brain—whether fighting fires or coaching national champions and All-Americans.
“The skills you need to be good at shooting are the skills you need to be accepted at MIT,” said Hart. “I taught them (student athletes) how to focus on the solution and not the problem.”
That mindset proved invaluable when facing glioblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor. Choosing the right surgeon and treatment team was critical. As a New England native, Hart was aware of the region’s excellent medical institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital, where some contacts had recommended he go to receive treatment. But after extensive research with his family, Hart made a different choice: the Brown University Health Cancer Institute at Rhode Island Hospital.
“World class care is in the backyard of Rhode Islanders,” said Dr. Wong, who emphasized that patients at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute receive a wide variety of services at Rhode Island Hospital, not just treatment for brain tumors.
Hart’s decision was influenced by the expertise of Clark Chen, MD, PhD, the director of the Brain Tumor Program and co-director of the Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute. Hart’s sister delved into Dr. Chen’s over 300 peer-reviewed articles, his surgical expertise, and his reputation as a teacher who helps other surgeons gain mastery of brain surgery. She was impressed by his reputation as a surgeon, a leader, and a teacher in the surgical treatment of glioblastoma.
“Who would you rather have—the student or the teacher?” asked Hart. “I would rather have the teacher. As soon as I met Dr. Chen, I realized what a positive person he was, and that brought out my positivity. I thought, ‘I feel safe with this person.’”
Dr. Chen recommended a procedure called 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), which uses a special liquid to turn areas of the brain affected by glioblastoma pink, allowing surgeons to more precisely remove the tumor while avoiding healthy brain tissue. Dr. Chen brought this exciting surgical technique to Brown University Health and is the first in the state to perform 5-ALA guided surgery.
The surgery was a success. Since the surgery, Hart has regained hand strength and dexterity, milestones that make a big difference in his daily life. He can now hold and use his cell phone, a task that had become impossible before surgery. Hart continues to receive care from Dr. Chen, as well as Eric Wong, MD (director of medical neuro-oncology at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute), Brijal Desai, MD (a radiation oncologist who specializes in giving radiation to the brain), and a multidisciplinary team of neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists, neuro-pathologists, and neuro-radiologists.
For Hart, Rhode Island Hospital stood out not only for its team of experts but also for its accessibility and personal touch. Its location allowed him to avoid Boston’s notorious traffic on the I-95 and I-93 corridor, making appointments and treatments more manageable.
“The radiation techs are wonderful,” said Hart. “I was never nervous or anxious going into any of my treatments. I feel just fantastic during radiation treatment.”
“The upfront treatment with radiation and chemotherapy is most important for glioblastoma patients, and you definitely would not want the unpredictability of traffic to interfere with your life-saving therapy or add undue stress,” says Dr. Wong.
Most importantly, receiving treatment at Rhode Island Hospital allowed Hart to use his loving support system, which includes his goddaughter, sister, and friends. Every day, he is able to see his sister, nephew, cousin, friends, and other family.
“My support system was very important to my recovery,” said Hart. “From the warm friendship and care I got from Dr. Chen when he explained my situation to me and my family, we knew I was in good hands right away.”
Hart completed radiation and chemotherapy in January. But he experienced a few bumps along the way. Although he tolerated very well the chemotherapy treatment led by Eric Wong, MD, he experienced weakness during treatment and his calcium level was found to be critically high. This led to discontinuation of his thiazide diuretic and a nuclear medicine scan revealed a parathyroid adenoma. Thankfully, Hart did not have major complications or interruption of radiation from hypercalcemia, in part due to Dr. Wong’s specialized expertise not just in brain tumors, but also in other medical and neurological complications, for which he monitors for all of his patients.
“Mr. Hart will eventually need to have this parathyroid tumor removed, but only after we stabilize his glioblastoma,” said Dr. Wong.
Having the director of a department, such as Drs. Chen and Wong, serve as a patient’s primary provider is not uncommon at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute and Rhode Island Hospital. Patients see experienced, skilled physicians who are thought leaders in their fields, not newly minted doctors right out of fellowship training programs like they might have at other teaching hospitals.
“World class care is in the backyard of Rhode Islanders,” said Dr. Wong, who emphasized that patients at the Brown University Health Cancer Institute receive a wide variety of services at Rhode Island Hospital, not just treatment for brain tumors.
The next step in Hart’s health journey is potentially participating in a clinical trial. Dr. Wong helped him apply for a clinical trial for eflornithine, an existing medication for other disorders that will be tested to see its impact on glioblastoma. His decision to receive treatment at Rhode Island Hospital proved to be prescient as this clinical trial is not available in Boston.
Hart highly recommends Rhode Island Hospital to anyone facing glioblastoma.
“You cannot undervalue the personal care,” he said. “Rhode Island Hospital is a valuable asset.”
The hospital’s combination of clinical excellence and compassionate support made a difference in Hart’s medical journey. Knowing he was in the hands of skilled professionals who genuinely cared about him as a person gave him strength and hope when he needed it most.
