May 16th, 2025

The End Brain Cancer Initiative (EBCI), produced and moderated the 2025 Know All Your Treatment Options event on May 16, 2025. This webinar featured top specialists in the field discussing treatment options, clinical trials, devices, and diagnostics. Participants included members of the brain tumor, brain cancer, and metastasized brain tumor community.


The full-presentation  video can be viewed below. Scroll down to view  the individual speaker videos as well as the HOPE Award video.

Additional Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in sponsoring the End Brain Cancer Initiative's 2025 Know All Your Treatment Options (KAYTO) event/webinar? This annual online event allows members of the brain tumor/brain cancer community to hear directly from top experts in the neuro-oncology field about brain cancer new research, clinical trials, treatments, devices, advanced diagnostics, personal introductions to these researchers, specialists, and more. Your support will directly have a positive impact on the distribution, reach and success of this event, as well as the awareness and outreach leading up to the event and the lasting patient disease educational videos that are created from this online webinar from each presentation. Please fill out the form below to request more information about sponsorship tiers and sponsorship benefits.

Dr. John de Groot
Keynote Speaker

Understanding Glioblastoma: Diagnosis, Challenges, and Emerging Therapies

In this expert-led session from the End Brain Cancer Initiative’s 2025 “Know All Your GBM Treatment Options” webinar, Dr. John de Groot, Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at UCSF, shares cutting-edge updates in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) and other diffuse gliomas. With experience as a principal investigator in over 40 clinical trials, Dr. de Groot offers insights into standard of care, evolving classification systems, and promising areas of innovation in neuro-oncology.

His presentation covers key topics including WHO 2021 tumor grading updates, the impact of IDH status and MGMT methylation on prognosis, and new imaging strategies for differentiating true tumor progression from pseudoprogression. Dr. de Groot also explores the limited but hopeful progress in immunotherapy and targeted therapy for GBM—including challenges with checkpoint inhibitors, the potential of BRAF/MEK inhibitors in select patient populations, and evolving CAR-T cell research.

A must-watch for patients, caregivers, and medical professionals, this session highlights both the obstacles and opportunities in GBM research and emphasizes the need for personalized approaches and continued clinical trial participation. Learn more at www.endbraincancer.org.

Dr. Javier Villanueva­-Meyer
Keynote Speaker

PET Imaging in Neuro-Oncology: Precision in Diagnosing Glioblastoma

In this session from the End Brain Cancer Initiative’s 2025 KAYTO webinar, Dr. Villanueva-Meyer, Associate Professor of Neuroradiology at UCSF, explores cutting-edge imaging tools that help distinguish brain tumor progression from treatment effects, an ongoing challenge in neuro-oncology.
Dr. Villanueva-Meyer explains how amino acid PET imaging (especially with the radiotracer FET) provides more accurate, earlier insights than traditional MRI alone. Through real patient cases, he illustrates how metabolic imaging improves diagnostic confidence, guides treatment decisions, and may reduce unnecessary surgeries or delays in care. The session also highlights how this technology (pending FDA approval) could revolutionize brain cancer care in the U.S., just as it has in Europe. Learn more at: www.endbraincancer.org.

Torey Gilbertson 
GBM Patient Speaker

Torey’s Journey Wearing the Optune Gio Device to Treat Brain Cancer

In this special session from the End Brain Cancer Initiative’s “Know All Your GBM Treatment Options” (KAYTO) 2025 event, glioblastoma (GBM) patient Torey Gilbertson shares his personal journey of living with GBM and using the Optune Gio device as part of his treatment. Torey offers practical, honest, and heartfelt tips for managing day-to-day life with the device—covering everything from skin care and array changes to managing alarms and staying active. This presentation is designed to support and empower fellow patients and caregivers by highlighting real-life experience, encouraging self-advocacy, and sharing useful tools and routines that can make treatment more manageable. Learn more: Patient Resource Center - End Brain Cancer

A message from the CEO - discussing KAYTO and Torey

Dr. Caroline T. Goldin
Speaker

What are Tumor Treating Fields to Treat GBM Brain Cancer and How They Work

In this educational webinar from the End Brain Cancer Initiative, Dr. Caroline Goldin, a neuro-oncologist at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center, offers a clear overview of glioblastoma (GBM) and Optune Gio®—a wearable, FDA-approved device for adult GBM patients. She explains how OptuneGio delivers Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), a noninvasive therapy that disrupts tumor cell division without significantly affecting healthy cells. Dr. Goldin discusses how the device fits into treatment plans for both newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM, its potential to improve survival, and how it can be used during everyday activities. The presentation also covers side effects, practical usage tips, and support resources like MyNovocure and the Optune Gio Buddy Program. These services help patients with insurance, training, troubleshooting, and peer connections. To learn more, visit www.OptuneGio.com. For direct support or to connect with a buddy, call 1-844-247-1636. To learn more visit: End Brain Cancer Initiative. Dr. Goldin is speaking on behalf of her clinical experience and not representing the opinions of Ochsner Health System.

Dr. Goldin is speaking on behalf of her clinical experience and not representing the opinions of Ochsner Health System.

Dr. Annick Desjardins
Speaker

Novel Immunotherapy Delivery Techniques in Glioblastoma Patients

In this in-depth and hopeful presentation, Dr. Annick Desjardins, Director of Clinical Research at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, shares groundbreaking research and clinical updates on treating glioblastoma (GBM) using innovative immunotherapy delivery techniques. She discusses the challenges of reaching brain tumors due to the blood-brain barrier and tumor heterogeneity, and how her team is addressing them through Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED)—a method that slowly infuses therapy directly into the tumor site.

Dr. Desjardins presents data from Duke's experience treating over 360 patients using this technique, including the use of a genetically modified polio virus (Lerapolturev) and other targeted agents. She also introduces a new trial delivering immunotherapy twice through a single procedure, a novel approach to checkpoint inhibitor injections near lymph nodes, and the use of a “tumor monorail” catheter that allows ongoing tumor sampling without surgery.

This session includes patient-focused Q&A covering dendritic cell vaccines, CAR-T therapy, and clinical trial access at Duke. Dr. Desjardins emphasizes her dedication to improving survival and quality of life for GBM patients, and her gratitude for the patients and caregivers who make this work possible. To learn more about trials or connect with the End Brain Cancer Initiative, visit www.endbraincancer.org.

Ms. Shreya Prakash
Speaker

EBCI Patient/Caregiver and Clinical Trial Navigation Services

In this segment of the End Brain Cancer Initiative’s “Know All Your GBM Treatment Options” webinar, Clinical Research Coordinator/Patient Navigator Shreya Prakash shares how EBCI supports patients and caregivers through free one-on-one guidance in their Direct Connect Program. She introduces EBCI’s Patient Resource Center, which offers fact sheets on immunotherapy side effects, clinical trials, questions to ask your care team, and practical tips for using the Optune Gio device. Shreya also explains how to access these resources online and how to request help by filling out a short Patient Inquiry Form. Support is available nationwide by phone, email, text, Zoom, or in-person at EBCI’s Redmond, WA office. For help, visit www.endbraincancer.org, email shreya@endbraincancer.org or call/text 425-436-8688.

Ms. Jennie Richey
Speaker

EBCI’s Bookshop

In this segment, EBCI volunteer Jennie introduces the EBCI Bookshop, a curated collection of books for brain cancer patients, caregivers, and families. Inspired by her father's GBM diagnosis, Jennie created this resource to help others find education, comfort, and hope through memoirs, guides, and children’s books. She highlights Difficult Gifts by Dr. Courtney Burnett, a GBM patient and upcoming keynote speaker at EBCI’s August 1 Caregiver Self-Care & Tools webinar. Books are available via Bookshop.org, with proceeds supporting EBCI’s mission. Explore the bookshop under “Resources” at www.endbraincancer.org or on the EBCI app. To suggest a book, email Jennie at jennie@endbraincancer.org.

Celebrate the 2025 National HOPE Award, a patient disease education, awareness & outreach program with the End Brain Cancer Initiative (EBCI), honoring glioblastoma (GBM) patients who inspire others through their courage and resilience. Supported by Novocure, this annual program spotlights patient stories that educate, empower, and bring hope to the brain tumor community. 

This year, we recognize three incredible individuals: Sabrina, a 23-year GBM survivor and mother; Ben Williams, diagnosed in 1995 and author of Surviving Terminal Cancer; and our 2025 HOPE Award recipient, Peter Mang, founder of Go with the Good, a nonprofit that assists in providing financial aid and resources to young adults with glioblastoma or advanced brain tumors and their families to help them focus on treatment and quality of life. 

Peter’s motto “Go with the good” captures the enduring spirit of hope we honor through this award. Thank you to Novocure for making this award possible. To connect with EBCI or request a copy of Ben’s book, visit www.endbraincancer.org.

2025 HOPE Award Presented to Peter Mang