Scott Marshall, Barberton, OH
Age 43, husband and father of two

Nearly 16 years ago, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation first noticed a shadow on Scott Marshall's brain scans. It was located on the occipital lobe, a few inches to the right on the back of Scott's head. This is a particularly difficult place for neurosurgeons to operate because of its proximity to other critical areas in the brain that control eyesight. Scott's doctor recommended that he get scans every year to monitor the shadow.

In September 2000, Scott was suffering from headaches and a full sensation in his ear and behind the eye. Both symptoms were becoming problematic for him at his job as an armed park ranger. Diagnostic scans showed that indeed the shadow had progressed into a tumor but its location made it very risky to biopsy.

"While we wanted to know whether or not the tumor was cancerous, our doctor told us that there was a 20 percent chance that a biopsy could fail and that it would do more harm than good," says Scott. "Given that the tumor was in an inoperable location, we took a wait-and-see attitude. In November the MRI showed that the tumor increased in size."

Two months later, the Cleveland Clinic acquired the PoleStar N-10 and neurosurgeon Dr. Gene Barnett recommended performing the biopsy on Scott.

"Dr. Barnett explained that with the new intraoperative MRI, they could pinpoint exactly where the tumor was while I was on the table and that would eliminate any guesswork. It was reassuring to know that he felt confident about the biopsy surgery," says Scott. After the biopsy was taken with the PoleStar N-10, the surgeon decided to have the surgery to remove the entire tumor. "It turns out that I had a malignant astrocytoma that's shaped like a spider so they used the PoleStar again when they went in to remove the tumor." The PoleStar enabled Dr. Barnett to localize the tumor precisely and remove it without damaging any healthy tissue.

Within one week of his surgery, Scott was able to walk around, shower and fix his own meals. He didn't experience post-operative deficits or physical limitations such as alteration of his vision.

Karen, Scott's wife and a hospice nurse, only wishes that PoleStar had been available a year ago. "We don't know if they could have removed the tumor before it became malignant, but it sure would have given us peace of mind. But now, after the surgery I just feel so relieved and happy."