I'm going to try something new with this post in making it feel more informal.  If you're reading this ready for ' another of Stu's lectures ', you can probably put down your pen(s) and paper / notepad, as I hope this ends up feeling more like we're just chatting over coffee. Today, I'm writing with updates on the cool things I've been able to spend my time on, and to reflect on how we can each get significant personal returns on the investments we make in helping others.  Already, that last sentence sounds a little overly inflated to me, so I'll do my best to keep things balanced.  Even before my current brain cancer experience, I've been a firm believer in the benefits of giving back and helping others. After my 2022 diagnosis  and surgery , I started searching for resources and community connections where I could learn more about my new experiences and find others with similar stories.  I started more generally by looking for "Brain Tumou...

Before you read this post: I’m about to weave a long story that might take 20 – 30 minutes to read.  I start with recent good news before walking us back to 1953 and some phenomenal science that followed to allow this good news.  Next, I add a ‘crash course’ that covers the steps from drug discovery and development through to clinical trials, regulatory submission and approval to commercial marketing.  I’ll gloss over some things to simplify, but I do cover a lot, so read on at your own discretion. Some good news On June 12, 2024, I joined a group of patients in getting early access to a new medication not yet approved anywhere but submitted to multiple health agencies for anticipated regulatory decision in August.  It might sound familiar because I wrote about the February 20, 2024 regulatory submission in an earlier post .  After pre-clinical work and results from Phase I and II trials, efficacy results from the Phase III ‘Indigo’ Clinical Trial showed tha...

May is Brain Tumour Awareness Month , a month to Turn May Grey or Go Grey for May .   Brain Tumour sites like the  Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada 's page or  Brain Cancer Canada 's page include information on Brain Tumour and Brain Cancer Awareness and Fundraising, and here I hope to share more information for any who might want to learn more.  Earlier this year, I began adding grey nail polish to my thumbnails as my own "Go grey for Me" reminder, and it's become more poignant for me this month. Brain Tumour Awareness to me is part of broader health awareness topics, where it's important for us all to be aware when something seems 'off' even when we might not know what the cause is, and especially when we might be nervous about what the cause could be.  It's so easy to go down a 'Dr. Google' rabbit hole that can sometimes make us hesitant to reach out for help.  Only when we seek help can we find answers and a path forward, so I always ...