Awake During Brain Surgery

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

April 16, 1999 / 10:10 AM EDT / CBS

The number of people being diagnosed with brain tumors is on the rise in the U.S., and experts are divided on why. CBS News This Morning Health Contributor Dr. Dave Hnida of CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver sheds light on treatment for this terrifying disease.

Experts don't know the reason for the increasing number of brain tumors. Some say it's simply a result of better detection methods. However, there are doctors who believe detection alone can't explain the growing numbers. No matter the reason, the diagnosis is frightening.

John Schnepp, 49, looks the picture of health, but he's not. He has a benign brain tumor that's been slowly growing for nine years. "The size of this tumor is dangerous, and I've got to have surgery to prevent me from no longer speaking, or just dying," he says.

The effects of the tumor are now showing themselves in the form of stammering and frustration. John sometimes has trouble with words and actions that once were second nature.

His doctor, Phillip Gutin, chief of neurosurgery at New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering, says, "John's tumor has shown relentless growth over the year, and it's gotten to a fairly dangerous size."

While John and his partner, Rich, know surgery is necessary, they worry that the invasive procedure will leave him changed. John says, "You certainly want to be able to interact with your world in the same way...with life the way it was before. All you can do at some point is say a prayer, so that's what I'll be doing."

As it turned out, John was able to say a prayer, and more, during his surgery. He was actually awake and answering the doctor's questions during his operation. Dr. Gutin used small electrical shocks to locate the parts of John's brain that control speech and motor skills.

During the procedure, Gutin told John, "We're going to have you count and we're going to be stimulating while you do that." The process helps Gutin determine where it's safe to cut out the tumor, and areas he must avoid. Gutin explains, "We can now remove tumors we couldn't remove even a few years ago and, most important, keep the patient exactly the same as when he went in."

Two weeks following the 10-hour surgery, John is back in to see his doctor. The surgery was a partial success, meaning John will have to undergo additional treatments. Dr. Gutin is optimistic that radiation will be effective.

For now, John is just thankful to be done with the surgery. "I'm in the same condition as I was before," he says, adding, "I think I can't be anything other than optimistic."

He's thankful to know he has a chance. "I know in a way I don't have the worst diagnosis so, and for just that reason I have to say that I feel lucky," he says.

John is researching other treatment options but probably will begin radiation some time this year.

One note: a benign brain tumor can be just as dangerou as a malignant one. In John's case, it has attached itself to vital areas that control speech. The big difference between a benign and malignant tumor is the faster rate at which the malignant one grows, giving the patient less time to fight the tumor.