Brain & Spine Tumor Center

The Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital provides state-of-the-art tumor treatment, resources and support for patients and families to meet the challenges of living with a brain tumor.

Center Leadership and Team Approach

Under the leadership of Osaama Khan, MD and a radiation oncologist* that specializes in Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors, the care team of the Brain and Spine Tumor Center provides specialized experience and expertise in the treatment of brain and spine tumors. This team approach to care offers patients faster multi-disciplinary collaboration which results in optimal patient care. Dr. Khan is a member of the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute and works jointly with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University to provide advanced clinical trial research opportunities.

Osaama H. Khan, MD, MSc
Director, Surgical Neuro-Oncology
Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital

Dr. Khan is the only fellowship-trained brain tumor neurosurgeon practicing and operating in the western Chicago suburbs. After completing his neurosurgery training in Toronto, Dr. Khan completed an oncology and skull-base fellowship at the University of Miami. He has also completed multiple research fellowships in France as well as New York.

Dr. Khan focuses on treating complex brain tumors in areas of the brain controlling such things as speech, motor functions and senses. He performs awake craniotomies, endoscopic approaches for pituitary tumors and minimally invasive surgery. He also uses Gamma Knife surgery for tumors and vascular lesions.

Completing the Brain and Spine Tumor Center leadership team is a dedicated radiation oncologist* who specializes in the treatment of central nervous system tumors with proton beam therapy, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, intensity modulated radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery.

Dedicated Team with Specialized Expertise

Given the complexity of treating brain tumors, being cared for by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists, neuro-radiologists, pathologists, neuropsychologists and is optimal for achieving the best possible outcome.

The Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital offers easy access to brain tumor treatment and clinical trials close to a patient’s home.

Access to these specialists means that patients living in the western suburbs do not have to travel far from home for excellent care. Patients are seen at both the Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Warrenville and Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Delnor. Both cancer centers provide complimentary valet parking.

*In the spirit of keeping you well-informed, the physician(s) identified are neither agents nor employees of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare or any of its affiliates. They have selected our facilities as places where they want to treat and care for their private patients.

Access to Cutting Edge Clinical Trials

Clinical trial options are available for patients with primary and secondary brain tumors. A list of current clinical trials can be found here.

Brain and Spine Tumor Diagnoses

Our specialists are experts in the treatment of primary brain and spine tumors, secondary brain and spine tumors, and the neurologic complications of cancer and its treatment. A sample of diagnoses might include these:

• Primary brain tumor – glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, anaplastic ependymoma, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, ependymoma, medulloblastoma, pineoblastoma, primary CNS lymphoma, ganglioglioma, pituitary tumors, and meningioma
• Secondary brain and spine tumors – brain, spine and leptomeningeal metastases
• Neurologic complications of cancer – paraneoplastic disorders and general neurologic problems in patients with cancer

Comprehensive Program Featuring Advanced Technology

At the Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, you have access to the latest technological advancements to treat brain tumors, delivered through a comprehensive program that includes:

• Weekly brain and spine tumor conference – (Mondays, 7:00-8:00 am at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and teleconferenced to the Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center Delnor, Northwestern Medicine Warrenville Cancer Center, Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Proton Center) and Fridays, 9:00-10:30 am at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. To submit a case, or for additional questions, please contact the Neuro-Oncology nurse navigator, Beth Bosshart-Frigo 630.352.5450 (TTY 711).
• Weekly brain and spine tumor clinic and weekly brain metastases clinic – Patients and family members can visit with a neurosurgeon, neuro-oncologist, CNS-dedicated radiation oncologist, neuropsychologist, social worker, financial counselor, nutritionist, and occupational therapist in one visit.
• Clinical trial options – These are available for patients with glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, primary CNS lymphoma, and CNS metastases.
• Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) – Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital (CDH) is the only hospital in Illinois to offer full-field intraoperative MRI (i-MRI), a state-of-the-art surgical technology that provides high-quality, more detailed imaging viewable during surgery. By integrating this technology with advanced surgical techniques, your neurosurgeon can conduct scans during surgery to more safely and precisely remove brain tumors, especially around sensitive areas of the brain. This ensures maximum possible tumor removal, and minimizes the removal of healthy tissue.
• Advanced radiation therapy treatments – These include Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), Tomotherapy®, and RapidArc®, advanced radiotherapy technologies that improve dose conformity, and may shorten treatment times.
• Proton therapy – One of the most precise forms of radiation therapy, proton treatment can be controlled so most of the radiation ends up directly in the tumor, reducing the risk of damage to surrounding healthy tissues, and causing fewer short- and long-term side effects. It has been effective in treating certain types of brain and spine cancer. Northwestern Medicine is the first and only health system in Illinois, and the ninth in the country, to offer proton therapy at the Northwestern Medicine Proton Center in Warrenville.*
• Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery - Gamma Knife® radiosurgery is an advanced cancer treatment used in multidisciplinary care plans at the Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Northwestern Medicine Cancer Care Center Warrenville. Gamma Knife is particularly well suited to treat brain tumors in difficult locations with less damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Benign, malignant, recurrent or metastatic brain tumors can all benefit from the precision of this safer treatment option.
• Brain Tumor resource and support groups – Patients and their families can find these groups at the Northwestern Medicine Cancer Center in Warrenville, Northwestern Medicine Living Well Cancer Resources in Geneva, Northwestern Medicine Living Well Cancer Resources in Warrenville and Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute in Chicago.
• Endoscopic skull base surgery – Skull base surgery can be used to remove benign and cancerous tumors on the base of the brain or skull. This can be done using minimally invasive endoscopes to access these difficult-to-reach areas.

*The Northwestern Medicine® Proton Center (Center) is a joint venture between various Northwestern Memorial HealthCare subsidiaries and physicians of Radiation Oncology Consultants, Ltd., dedicated to providing proton therapy in Illinois. The physicians that practice at the Center are neither agents nor employees of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare nor its subsidiaries. They have chosen this facility as the place they wish to care for and treat their private patients.

Clinical Trials

The Center offers a full complement of clinical trials for patients with brain tumors. A list of open brain tumor clinical trials is available here.

Learn more about the benefits of, and guidelines for participating in a clinical trial from the National Cancer Institute.

Know what questions to ask when evaluating a clinical study at ClinicalTrials.gov**, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

**By clicking on these websites, you are leaving the Northwestern Medicine website. These websites are independent resources. Northwestern Medicine does not operate or control the content of these websites.

Support Services for Brain and Spine Tumors

You have access to a wide range of support resources at the Brain and Spine Tumor Center at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, including a nutritionist, social worker and financial counselor.

Northwestern Medicine Living Well Cancer Resources can be a vital component of your treatment and recovery. Living Well Cancer Resources serves as a gathering place, providing comfort and community to anyone experiencing the effects of cancer. The staff works to ensure that you and your family feel less isolated, better informed, more hopeful and empowered to take on the challenge of facing cancer.

Living Well Cancer Resources offers more than 100 programs including educational classes, support and networking groups, exercise classes, counseling, nutrition classes and stress reduction classes.

For more information or a schedule of events, contact the staff at info@livingwellcrc.org or visit livingwellcrc.org.

Make An Appointment

To find a brain tumor specialist, call 630.352.5450. TTY 711.