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16th Annual
Brian D. Silber Memorial
Golf Tournament
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Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Meadow at
Peabody
Shotgun: Noon
Dinner to follow
at Hilltop Steakhouse
For more
information,
please call
978-535-4788
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Neurosurgery Home |
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Research Home |
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Alumni Home |
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Mass General Hospital Web
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The MGH Spine Tumor Clinic is dedicated to
providing multidisciplinary care for patients with tumors
of the spine. At the Clinic, neurosurgeons,
orthopedic spine surgeons, radiation oncologists, and neuro-oncologists collaborate
to diagnose and treat patients with these rare tumors.
The MGH Spine Tumor Clinic also focuses on research
into the cause of spine and spinal cord tumors.
The Brian D. Silber Memorial Fund
Supporting the
Brian D. Silber Spine Tumor Clinic
in the Brain Tumor Center at MGH
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MGH Brain Tumor Center
Yawkey Building 9th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
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The Brian D. Silber Memorial Fund
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Brian's Story - It started off as an
ordinary jog. Brian Silber was running his favorite
course on an early spring day in 1993. However,
the back pain that followed was anything but ordinary.
A year later Brian was diagnosed with a malignant spinal
cord tumor. After treatments including surgery, radiation,
and chemotherapy, Brian died in 1996, when he was just
28 years old.
Brian was an outstanding young man whose intelligence
and warmth touched all who knew him. He graduated
with honors from Tufts University where he majored
in economics. He was an accomplished athlete who played
baseball, basketball, and tennis. As a young adult
Brian achieved great success in his career as a sales
executive, where he was viewed as a rising professional.
In spite of his many gifts, Brian remained modest
and humble and always reached out to help other people.
Even during his illness he would awaken at five o'clock
in the morning to serve breakfast to homeless families.
Most importantly, Brian showed tremendous caring and
kindness to all, whether they were close friends and
family or casual acquaintances. Throughout his life,
Brian made a difference in the lives of others.
When it became clear that he wouldn't beat his cancer,
Brian remained true to character and requested that
a fund be established to support research on spinal
tumors and to improve the outcome for spine tumor patients.
Spinal cord tumors are so rare that little direct study
has been undertaken, and they are typically treated
according to principles used to combat brain tumors.
Brian was frustrated by this, and it was Brian's hope
that monies raised would help to change this for the
better. Brian's family established The Brian D. Silber
Memorial Fund at Massachusetts General Hospital to make
Brian's dream become a reality.
Brian's Fund at MGH provides support for spinal cord tumor
research, clinical services, and educational programs.
The Fund is dedicated to the ultimate goal of finding
a cure for spinal cord tumors.
With the 1999 opening of the Brian D. Silber Spine Tumor
Clinic, it is clear that Brian's Fund is making a difference.
The Fund serves as a source of support for the operation
of this unique patient care and research clinic. Brian's
family feels that it is a tribute to Brian to sustain
his memory in such a meaningful and vitally important
way.
As of March 2013, the $1,600,000 donated to the Brian
D. Silber Memorial Fund at MGH has supported the following:
- Establishment and operation of the Brian
D. Silber Spine Tumor Clinic at MGH
- Establishment of a named laboratory in memory of
Brian D. Silber at MGH
- Expansion of MGH’s
Pediatric Neurosurgery Service to include special
expertise in the management of spinal cord tumors
in children
- Rapid expansion of specialized image-guided photon
therapy for spinal tumors
- Research on astrocytomas in the laboratory of Dr.
Arnab Chakravarti, Director, Molecular and Cellular
Radiation Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, MGH
- Research on spinal tumors in the laboratory of Dr.
Scott Plotkin, Director, Neurofibromatosis Clinic,
MGH
- Initiation of international, chemotherapy clinical
trials
- Completion of a clinical study on the long-term
outcome of spinal cord tumor patients treated by radiation
- Purchase of an AGFA Imaging Center, for viewing
spinal images, and a Digitimer Cortical Stimulator,
for monitoring during spinal surgery
- Ten Brian D. Silber Lectureships featuring Drs.
Fred Epstein, Darell Bigner, Michael C. V. Jensen,
Roy Patchell, J. Gregory Cairncross, Mark Bilsky,
Antonino Raco, Paul McCormick, Kenneth Aldape, and
Peter Gerszten
- Publication of numerous scientific articles by members
of the Spine Tumor Clinic
- Establishment of a web site at http://spinetumorcenter.mgh.harvard.edu
- Preparation and distribution of Spine Tumor Center
brochure to New England physicians
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