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Ivy Blog

Making a Difference on Glioblastoma Awareness Day 2023

What is Glioblastoma Awareness Day? 

Glioblastoma Awareness Day (GBM Day) is dedicated to increasing public awareness of glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer. It also honors those who have been impacted by the disease and supports efforts to develop better treatment options that will improve patients’ long-term prognoses. 

U.S. Senator for Arizona, John McCain, died of glioblastoma nearly five years ago on August 25, 2018. Following his death, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators sponsored a resolution to allocate a day in July to raise awareness and leverage support for the research and treatment of glioblastoma. The resolution was passed unanimously in May during Brain Tumor Awareness Month by Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema in Phoenix, AZ.  

When is Glioblastoma Awareness Day?  

Glioblastoma Awareness Day (GBM Day) takes place each year on the third Wednesday of July. The fifth annual Glioblastoma Awareness Day will take place on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

Initially introduced to the Senate by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators, the inaugural Glioblastoma Awareness Day took place on July 17, 2019.  

The response was overwhelming with scores of individuals and families contributing to the Glioblastoma Awareness Day campaign, enabling the Barrow Neurological Foundation to raise a grand total of $539,044. The first year’s success encouraged those same leaders to come together again to show their unwavering support to move the needle on brain tumor research.

Which U.S. Senators sponsored the original resolution to establish Glioblastoma Awareness Day? 

  • Senator Lindsey Graham 
  • Senator Kyrsten Sinema  
  • Senator Martha McSally 
  • Senator Elizabeth Warren 
  • Senator Mitch McConnell 
  • Senator Ed Markey 

Why was Glioblastoma Awareness Day established? 

While glioblastoma is considered one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer with a median survival rate of 15 months, it is also considered a rare disease with about 12,000 new diagnoses each year. Because of this, it hasn’t received the same national attention or industry interest as many other more prevalent cancer types.  

In recent years, however, the passing of high-profile individuals such as Senators John McCain, Ted Kennedy, and Beau Biden has finally put a proper spotlight on the disease. The brain cancer community is ready for a change and with rapid advancements in technology and the development of novel research methods, the ability to fight this disease with new treatment options has never been more attainable. 

What is the brain cancer community doing to improve treatment options for glioblastoma?

GBM Day Survival Rates

The lack of new treatments for aggressive brain tumors requires a bold approach to rapidly identify new, effective therapies that will increase life expectancy and contribute to a cure.

The Ivy Brain Tumor Center is confronting these challenges patient-by-patient through the world’s largest Phase 0 clinical trials program. This approach reduces the obstacles industry and drug development face and uses precision medicine to get new drugs to patients in a fraction of the time and cost associated with conventional clinical trials.

To learn if you or a loved one may be eligible for a Phase 0 clinical trial, please contact an Ivy Navigator at 602-406-8605 or submit a Trial Screening request here.

Part of the reason new drugs have not emerged for glioblastoma in over three decades is that the vast majority are incapable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and getting to the tumor. Each new Phase 0 study at the Ivy Center offers another avenue of hope for identifying a therapy that will increase life expectancy for glioblastoma and contribute to a cure

Nader Sanai, MD
Director, Ivy Brain Tumor Center

How can I get involved on GBM Day? 

For those impacted by glioblastoma, the need for more awareness, new and alternative therapeutic options, and ultimately a cure, is greater than ever. Here are a few ways you can make an impact:    

Join the #GBMDay movement 

Social media is a valuable tool for spreading awareness, promoting unity, and driving action around a movement. The official hashtag for Glioblastoma Awareness Day is #GBMDay.  

Share your glioblastoma story

Storytelling is a powerful mechanism for inspiring change and activating communities. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, loved one, or brain tumor specialist, sharing your personal story can help people understand the pain and challenges those impacted by glioblastoma face due to this disease.   

We want to hear your story. If you choose to share on social media, be sure to tag us (Instagram – @theivybraintumorcenter, Twitter – @IvyBrainTumCtr and Facebook – @IvyBrainTumorCenter) and use #GBMDay so we don’t miss it. We will be sharing as many as we can to support this movement not just on GBM Day, but for all the days to come as we work to build awareness and help those suffering from glioblastoma. You can also submit your story and we will help you find the best way to share it with the world. 

Register for a brain tumor fundraising event 

Ivy Brain Tumor Team at Head for the Cure walk

Community events bring people together and provide a supportive setting for individuals who are facing similar challenges. Many of these events are designed to help raise awareness, promote unity and drive action toward discovering new and alternative therapeutic options for brain cancer.

The mission of Head for the Cure is to inspire hope for the brain tumor community while simultaneously celebrating their courage, spirit and energy. Through a variety of different fundraising efforts including 5K events hosted across the country, Head for the Cure is able to support clinical research and patient programs at local brain cancer institutions. 

The Ivy Brain Tumor Center is the local beneficiary of the Phoenix Head for the Cure 5K. Click here to join the Phoenix event. This year, the event will take place in person with an option to attend virtually so you don’t have to be local to participate.

Support a brain tumor organization or research program financially

Donations and investments in the education and research of glioblastoma are essential to the progress of defeating this disease. 

By donating to the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, 100% of your tax-deductible donations support the operation of clinical research studies that aim to defeat this disease once and for all. Additionally, gifts also provide patient education and enhanced patient care. 

You can also make a huge difference by making a donation to a nonprofit organization that helps support families affected by a brain tumor diagnosis like Gray Matters Foundation, Brain Tumor Network, and the EndBrainCancer Initiative.  

Advocate for change

As the largest funder of brain tumor research, the federal government plays a pivotal role in the research that will lead to new treatments for glioblastoma. Ask your members of Congress to prioritize medical research for the brain tumor community by taking action now

The brain cancer fight is personal

As we look to the future, there is still much more groundwork to be done in discovering new and effective drugs for brain tumor patients, as well as a dire need for continuous education on a multitude of challenges researchers face when treating brain cancer.  

At the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, many of our neurosurgeons and brain tumor specialists have been personally impacted by brain cancer and we believe that gives us a unique perspective on the challenges our patients and their loved ones are facing. While we take incredible risks every day, the potential reward for patients is high. Everyone on our team is passionate about identifying and accelerating treatments that will make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Because for us, this work is personal.  

Dr. Nader Sanai's Aunt Jila

We want to know what makes the fight against brain cancer personal to you. Tell us on social media and use the hashtag #itspersonal.  

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter where you will receive updates on all things Ivy Brain Tumor Center and the latest on our brain tumor research efforts. 

The Author

Ivy Center

2 Replies to “Making a Difference on Glioblastoma Awareness Day 2023”

  1. Melanie Susedik
    • July 18, 2021

    Sadly, Glioblastoma has affected my family , twice in 10 years. My 49 yr old husband died in May , of 2007 of GB . My 54 yr old brother died of it in Jan of 2017 . We need a cure , now .

    1 Response
    1. Ivy Center
      • August 23, 2021

      Hi Melanie- we are so sorry to hear how brain cancer has impacted you and your family. We are sending you positive thoughts and well-wishes.

Comments are closed.