Scholars@Duke
Margaret Johnson

Margaret Johnson

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
margaret.o.johnson@duke.edu
047 Baker House, Trent Drive, Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710
047 Baker House, Trent Drive, Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710

Selected Publications

Validation of the graded prognostic assessment and recursive partitioning analysis as prognostic tools using a modern cohort of patients with brain metastases.

Journal Article Neurooncol Pract · December 2024 BACKGROUND: Prognostic indices for patients with brain metastases (BM) are needed to individualize treatment and stratify clinical trials. Two frequently used tools to estimate survival in patients with BM are the recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) and ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Comparison of Palliative Care Perceptions Across Metastatic Spine Patients and the General Population.

Journal Article J Palliat Med · November 2024 Background: Palliative care (PC) has been shown to benefit patients with metastatic cancer by managing symptoms, improving quality of life, and facilitating advance care planning. Despite this, PC is often misunderstood and underutilized. Objective: To dee ... Full text Link to item Cite

Enhancing Oncologists' Comfort with Serious Illness Conversations: The Impact of Serious Illness Conversation Guide (SICG) Training.

Journal Article J Cancer Educ · October 2024 Providers oftentimes need to have difficult conversations with patients facing a poor prognosis. Research indicates that providers generally feel ill prepared for these conversations and that bad conversations may lead to more anxiety for patients. Communi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparing Knowledge and Perceptions of Palliative Care Among Neuro-Oncology Patients, Caregivers, and Providers to a Representative U.S. Sample.

Journal Article Am J Hosp Palliat Care · September 5, 2024 BACKGROUND: Primary brain tumors (PBTs) pose a significant health challenge, affecting patients and their caregivers. While early integration of palliative care (PC) has shown benefits in advanced cancer, its integration for PBT patients, particularly glio ... Full text Link to item Cite

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Geriatric Oncology.

Journal Article Curr Oncol Rep · May 2024 PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This manuscript will update prior reviews of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in light of basic science, translational, and clinical discoveries in the field of cancer immunology and aging. RECENT FINDINGS: ICIs have led to significan ... Full text Link to item Cite

MGMT ProFWise: Unlocking a New Application for Combined Feature Selection and the Rank-Based Weighting Method to Link MGMT Methylation Status to Serum Protein Expression in Patients with Glioblastoma.

Journal Article Int J Mol Sci · April 6, 2024 Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal brain tumor with limited treatment options. O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status is the central molecular biomarker linked to both the response to temozolomide, the standard chemotherapy dr ... Full text Link to item Cite

Use, access, and initial outcomes of off-label ivosidenib in patients with IDH1 mutant glioma.

Journal Article Neurooncol Pract · April 2024 BACKGROUND: Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) is commonly mutated (mIDH) in gliomas, and this mutant enzyme produces the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG). 2HG promotes gliomagenesis and is implicated in epileptogenesis. Ivosidenib (IVO), a small molecu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Evolving Barriers to Clinical Trial Enrollment and Clinical Care in Neuro-oncology in the Face of COVID-19.

Journal Article Semin Neurol · February 2024 The lack of treatments with durable response in neuro-oncology highlights the critical need for clinical trials to advance patient care. The intersection of relatively low incidence, evolving classification schema, and entrenched community, healthcare prov ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparing Knowledge and Perceptions of Palliative Care Among Neuro-Oncology Patients, Caregivers, and Providers to a Representative U.S. Sample

Conference American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine · January 1, 2024 Background: Primary brain tumors (PBTs) pose a significant health challenge, affecting patients and their caregivers. While early integration of palliative care (PC) has shown benefits in advanced cancer, its integration for PBT patients, particularly glio ... Full text Cite

An adult with recurrent atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor of the spine.

Journal Article CNS Oncol · January 1, 2024 Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) are rare and highly malignant CNS neoplasms primarily affecting children. Adult cases are extremely uncommon, with only approximately 92 reported. Spinal AT/RT in adults is particularly rare. Here, we present the c ... Full text Link to item Cite

Advanced Age in Humans and Mouse Models of Glioblastoma Show Decreased Survival from Extratumoral Influence.

Journal Article Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · December 2023 PurposeGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most common aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults with a median age of onset of 68 to 70 years old. Although advanced age is often associated with poorer GBM patient survival, the predominant source(s) ... Full text Cite

Data from Advanced Age in Humans and Mouse Models of Glioblastoma Show Decreased Survival from Extratumoral Influence

Other · December 1, 2023 <div>AbstractPurpose:<p>Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults with a median age of onset of 68 to 70 years old. Although advanced age is often associated with poorer GBM patient surviva ... Full text Cite

Data from Advanced Age in Humans and Mouse Models of Glioblastoma Show Decreased Survival from Extratumoral Influence

Other · December 1, 2023 <div>AbstractPurpose:<p>Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults with a median age of onset of 68 to 70 years old. Although advanced age is often associated with poorer GBM patient surviva ... Full text Cite

Treatment Complications of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Central Nervous System Tumors

Conference Blood · November 2, 2023 Introduction: In the last decade, landmark studies have been conducted in patients with cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CA-VTE), helping to guide treatment decisions of anticoagulant therapy. Although these tr ... Full text Cite

Characterization of industry relationships in oncology.

Conference Cancer · September 15, 2023 Featured Publication BACKGROUND: Collaborative relationships between academic oncology and industry (pharmaceutical, biotechnology, "omic," and medical device companies) are essential for therapeutic development in oncology; however, limited research on engagement in and perce ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Enduring Effects of COVID for Cancer Care: Learning from Real-Life Clinical Practice.

Journal Article Clin Cancer Res · May 1, 2023 Featured Publication For three years, COVID-19 has circulated among our communities and around the world, fundamentally changing social interactions, health care systems, and service delivery. For people living with (and receiving treatment for) cancer, pandemic conditions pre ... Full text Link to item Cite

Palliative and end-of-life care for neuro-oncology patients

Internet Publication · April 27, 2023 Featured Publication Link to item Cite

Racial disparities in inpatient clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes in brain metastasis.

Journal Article Neurooncol Pract · February 2023 Featured Publication BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed the impact of race on short-term patient outcomes in the brain metastasis population. The goal of this study is to evaluate the association of race with inpatient clinical presentation, treatment, in-hospital complicat ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

NUTMEG: A randomized phase II study of nivolumab and temozolomide versus temozolomide alone in newly diagnosed older patients with glioblastoma.

Journal Article Neurooncol Adv · 2023 BACKGROUND: There is an immunologic rationale to evaluate immunotherapy in the older glioblastoma population, who have been underrepresented in prior trials. The NUTMEG study evaluated the combination of nivolumab and temozolomide in patients with glioblas ... Full text Link to item Cite

TMIC-15. AGE-RELATED MARKERS FOR SENESCENCE INCREASE IN THE OLDER ADULT EXTRATUMORAL MOUSE BRAIN DUE TO GLIOBLASTOMA

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 14, 2022 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE The median age of onset for glioblastoma (GBM; IDHwt) is 68-70 years. Age is a strong prognostic factor for GBM patient outcomes such that overall survival in older adults is less than their younger counterparts – even after adjustment for MGMT p ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

TMIC-15. AGE-RELATED MARKERS FOR SENESCENCE INCREASE IN THE OLDER ADULT EXTRATUMORAL MOUSE BRAIN DUE TO GLIOBLASTOMA

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 14, 2022 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE The median age of onset for glioblastoma (GBM; IDHwt) is 68-70 years. Age is a strong prognostic factor for GBM patient outcomes such that overall survival in older adults is less than their younger counterparts – even after adjustment for MGMT p ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

NCOG-43. A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 INFECTION ON NEURO-ONCOLOGY CARE AND PATIENT OUTCOMES: A TWO-SITE STUDY

Conference NEURO-ONCOLOGY · November 14, 2022 Featured Publication BACKGROUND COVID-19 radically changed neuro-oncology care. In this retrospective study, we examine the impact of COVID-19 infection on neuro-oncological care and clinical outcomes in two geographically separate populations. METHODS Descriptive statistics ... Full text Link to item Cite

Easing the Journey-an Updated Review of Palliative Care for the Patient with High-Grade Glioma.

Journal Article Curr Oncol Rep · April 2022 Featured Publication PURPOSE OF REVIEW: High-grade gliomas (HGG) are rare brain tumors that cause disproportionate suffering and mortality. Palliative care, whose aim is to relieve the symptoms and stressors of serious illness, may benefit patients with HGG and their families. ... Full text Link to item Cite

A phase 1 trial of D2C7-it in combination with an Fc-engineered anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (2141-V11) administered intratumorally via convectionenhanced delivery for adult patients with recurrent malignant glioma (MG).

Conference JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY · 2022 Featured Publication Background: D2C7 immunotoxin (D2C7-IT) is a dual-specific recombinant immunotoxin comprising an EGFR wild-type and mutant-specific (EGFRvIII) monoclonal antibody (Ab) fragment and a genetically engineered form of the Pseudomonas exotoxin. When injected dir ... Full text Link to item Cite

A phase 0/surgical window-of-opportunity study in progress, evaluating evolocumab in patients with high-grade glioma or glioblastoma

Conference JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY · 2022 Featured Publication Background: High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are immunologically ‘cold’ tumors. This phenomenon is partly due to reduced expression of major histocompatibility class (MHC) I on the surface of tumor cells, which prevents CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity (CTLs) ... Full text Link to item Cite

NUTMEG: A RANDOMIZED PHASE II STUDY OF NIVOLUMAB AND TEMOZOLOMIDE VERSUS TEMOZOLOMIDE ALONE IN NEWLY DIAGNOSED ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH GLIOBLASTOMA

Conference NEURO-ONCOLOGY · 2022 Featured Publication Abstract BACKGROUND Nivolumab is a PD-1 inhibitor with known safety profile. An increase in mutations as we age is well documented in glioblastoma and other cancers. Higher mutational load is associated with increased response to nivolumab in extracranial ... Full text Link to item Cite

QOLP-28. COMPARING KNOWLEDGE OF AND BELIEFS ABOUT PALLIATIVE CARE AMONG NEURO-ONCOLOGY PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS, PROVIDERS AND A NATIONALLY-REPRESENTATIVE U.S. SAMPLE

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 12, 2021 Featured Publication AbstractINTRODUCTIONThere is increasing recognition that palliative care (PC) can benefit patients with advanced cancers. However, ear ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

INNV-20. RADIOGRAPHIC RESPONSE AND SEIZURE CONTROL IN IDH1 MUTANT GLIOMA PATIENTS USING IVOSIDENIB

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 12, 2021 Featured Publication AbstractIsocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) is commonly mutated in grade II-III gliomas, and the mutant enzyme leads to the production of the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). 2-HG is responsible for t ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

QOLP-10. A LONGITUDINAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF EXERCISE BEHAVIOR IN GLIOBLASTOMA PATIENTS TREATED WITH TUMOR-TREATING FIELDS

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 12, 2021 Featured Publication AbstractGlioblastoma (GBM) patients can use tumor-treating fields (TTFs) with adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) to treat their disease. TTFs involve wearing transfixed transducers to the shaved scalp, and the tran ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

INNV-31. NEURO-ONCOLOGY OUTPATIENT SATISFACTION IS MAINTAINED IN THE ERA OF COVID-19 TELEMEDICINE

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 12, 2021 Featured Publication AbstractINTRODUCTIONThe use of telemedicine increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the impact on patient satisfaction in the ... Full text Open Access Cite

CTIM-10. REPRODUCIBILITY OF CLINICAL TRIALS USING CMV-TARGETED DENDRITIC CELL VACCINES IN PATIENTS WITH GLIOBLASTOMA

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 12, 2021 Featured Publication AbstractINTRODUCTIONVaccination with dendritic cells (DCs) fares poorly in primary and recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). Moreover, GBM vac ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Palliative Care Use for Critically Ill Patients With Brain Metastases.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · November 2021 Featured Publication CONTEXT: Critically ill patients with brain metastases (BM) face significant uncertainty regarding prognosis and survival and can benefit from Palliative care (PC). However, research regarding the role of PC in this population is lacking. OBJECTIVES: We so ... Full text Link to item Cite

Primary brain tumor patients admitted to a US intensive care unit: a descriptive analysis.

Journal Article CNS Oncol · September 1, 2021 Featured Publication Purpose: To describe our population of primary brain tumor (PBT) patients, a subgroup of cancer patients whose intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes are understudied. Methods: Retrospective analysis of PBT patients admitted to an ICU between 2013 to 2018 for ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

EPCT-01. A NOVEL PEPTIDE VACCINE DIRECTED TO CMV PP65 FOR TREATMENT OF RECURRENT MALIGNANT GLIOMA AND MEDULLOBLASTOMA IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A PHASE I TRIAL

Conference Neuro-Oncology · June 1, 2021 Featured Publication AbstractIntroductionThe cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen, pp65, is ubiquitously expressed in malignant glioma and medulloblastoma but not ... Full text Link to item Cite

The mutational landscape of older patients with IDH wild-type glioblastoma (GBM).

Conference Journal of Clinical Oncology · May 20, 2021 Featured Publication e14033 Background: Advanced age is associated with poorer outcomes in GBM and current NCCN guidelines distinguish older GBM patients (≥70 years, oGBM) from their younger counterparts ( < 70 years, yGBM). We aim to characterize ... Full text Cite

Adjuvant Radiation in Older Patients With Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Single Institution Analysis.

Journal Article Front Oncol · 2021 Featured Publication OBJECTIVES: Standard 6-week and hypofractionated 3-week courses of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) are both options for older patients with glioblastoma (GBM), but deciding the optimal regimen can be challenging. This analysis explores clinical factors ass ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Glioblastoma as an age-related neurological disorder in adults.

Journal Article Neurooncol Adv · 2021 BACKGROUND: Advanced age is a major risk factor for the development of many diseases including those affecting the central nervous system. Wild-type isocitrate dehydrogenase glioblastoma (IDHwt GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain cancer and acc ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

INNV-20. RADIOGRAPHIC RESPONSE AND SEIZURE CONTROL IN IDH1 MUTANT GLIOMA PATIENTS USING IVOSIDENIB

Conference NEURO-ONCOLOGY · 2021 Featured Publication Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) is commonly mutated in grade II-III gliomas, and the mutant enzyme leads to the production of the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). 2-HG is responsible for the gliomagenesis associated with these tumors and the pro ... Full text Link to item Cite

CTIM-21. PEPTIDE VACCINE DIRECTED TO CMV pp65 FOR TREATMENT OF RECURRENT MALIGNANT GLIOMA AND MEDULLOBLASTOMA IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A PHASE I TRIAL

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 9, 2020 AbstractINTRODUCTIONThe cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen, pp65, is ubiquitously expressed in malignant glioma and medulloblastoma but not ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Outcomes Following Adjuvant Radiation Therapy in Elderly Patients with Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Single Institution Analysis

Conference International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics · September 1, 2020 2230 ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patterns of relapse after successful completion of initial therapy in primary central nervous system lymphoma: a case series.

Journal Article J Neurooncol · April 2020 Featured Publication PURPOSE: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that involves the brain, spinal cord, or leptomeninges, without evidence of systemic disease. This rare disease accounts for ~ 3% of all primary central nervous ... Full text Link to item Cite

HOUT-21. CHARACTERISTICS OF SHORT-TERM SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH GLIOBLASTOMA: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 11, 2019 AbstractWe sought to identify characteristics of glioblastoma (GBM) patients with short survival (< 10 months) in order to identify prognostic factors useful for guiding treatment management. This is an I ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

ATIM-24. DOSE FINDING AND DOSE EXPANSION TRIAL OF D2C7 IMMUNOTOXIN (D2C7-IT) ADMINISTERED INTRATUMORALLY VIA CONVECTION-ENHANCED DELIVERY (CED) FOR RECURRENT MALIGNANT GLIOMA (MG)

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 11, 2019 AbstractBACKGROUNDD2C7-IT is a recombinant immunotoxin comprised of a dual-specific antibody fragment targeting EGFRwt and EGFRvIII an ... Full text Link to item Cite

The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of central neurocytoma.

Journal Article CNS Oncol · November 1, 2019 Featured Publication Aim: Central neurocytoma (CN) is a rare WHO grade II central nervous system (CNS) tumor. This is an update on chemotherapeutic agents used in its treatment. Patients & methods: An institutional review board-approved, chart review of patients seen at our in ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Oncolytic polio/rhinovirus recombinant (PVSRIPO) against WHO grade IV malignant glioma (MG): Experience with retreatment of survivors from the phase I trial.

Conference Journal of Clinical Oncology · May 20, 2019 2060 Background: We completed a study evaluating a single intratumoral delivery of PVSRIPO in recurrent WHO grade IV MG patients (N Engl J Med. 2018 Jul 12;379(2):150-161). Some patients who originally benefitted from the infusion of PVSRIPO demonstrated ... Full text Link to item Cite

PSYCHOSOCIAL DISTRESS IN PATIENTS WITH RECURRENT MENINGIOMAS

Conference NEURO-ONCOLOGY · November 5, 2018 QOLP-13 ... Full text Link to item Cite

Long-term outcomes of adult patients with ependymoma.

Conference Neurology · April 27, 2018 150 ... Link to item Cite

Utilization of Hospice Services in a Population of Patients With Huntington's Disease.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · February 2018 Featured Publication CONTEXT: Although the early and middle stages of Huntington's disease (HD) and its complications have been well described, less is known about the course of late-stage illness. In particular, little is known about the population of patients who enroll in h ... Full text Link to item Cite

RARE-25. A RETROSPECTIVE, SINGLE INSTITUTION STUDY OF CENTRAL NEUROCYTOMA (2004-2016): SURVIVAL, TREATMENT, AND SUPPORTIVE CARE

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 6, 2017 OBJECTIVE Central neurocytoma (WHO grade II) represents 0.25-0.5% of all primary brain tumors. Given its rarity, the management is typically described in small case series. We describe our institutional experience in terms of survival, treatment, pathologi ... Full text Link to item Cite

PATTERNS OF RELAPSE AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF INITIAL THERAPY IN PRIMARY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LYMPHOMA

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 1, 2017 Featured Publication RATE-36 INTRODUCTION Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that involves the brain, spinal cord or leptomeninges, without evidence of systemic disease. This rare disease accounts for ~3% of all primary centr ... Full text Link to item Cite

PATTERNS OF RELAPSE AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF INITIAL THERAPY IN PRIMARY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LYMPHOMA

Conference Neuro-Oncology · November 1, 2017 Featured Publication RATE-36 INTRODUCTION Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that involves the brain, spinal cord or leptomeninges, without evidence of systemic disease. This rare disease accounts for ~3% of all primary centr ... Full text Link to item Cite

19-Year-Old Male with Headaches and a Possible Seizure.

Journal Article Brain Pathol · July 2017 Featured Publication Full text Link to item Cite