A Physician's Journey Highlights the Promise of Personalized Brain Cancer Care

July 14, 2026

For nearly 30 years, Dr. Frank Robichaux has cared for patients throughout Lafourche Parish. Last year, he unexpectedly found himself on the other side of medicine.
What began as fatigue and intermittent headaches seemed easy to explain away. Like many busy people, he attributed the symptoms to stress and migraines.
Then one morning, everything changed.

After arriving at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center with a worsening headache, brain imaging revealed a tumor. Within hours, he was transferred by helicopter to LCMC Health’s West Jefferson Medical Center, where neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Culicchia performed surgery. The diagnosis was glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor in adults.

"I remember a feeling of disbelief," Robichaux said. "Seeing how upset my wife, Stephanie, was at that time hit especially hard."

For Dr. Yazmin Odia, neuro-oncologist and Clinical Trials Office Medical Director at the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, his experience underscores an important message.
"Fatigue and headaches are often attributed to everyday life," Odia said.

"Unfortunately, glioblastoma can present with these subtle symptoms before they rapidly progress."

Each year, approximately 12,000 Americans are diagnosed with glioblastoma. While the disease remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat, advances in personalized care are helping physicians make more informed treatment decisions.
Following surgery, Robichaux completed six weeks of radiation therapy at University Medical Center in New Orleans with Dr. Jill Vincent while receiving daily chemotherapy. He then transitioned to monthly chemotherapy and Tumor Treating Fields, a wearable device that uses low-intensity electrical fields to help slow cancer cell growth.

His case also offered an opportunity to personalize treatment.

Standard molecular testing suggested his tumor might be less likely to respond to chemotherapy. However, a multidisciplinary team performed a chemosensitivity analysis using living tumor tissue collected during surgery. The functional test predicted his individual tumor would respond well to the medication.

"Traditional molecular testing tells us what a tumor looks like genetically," Odia said. "Functional testing shows us how a patient's living tumor behaves. It provides another layer of information that can help personalize treatment decisions."

That individualized approach proved encouraging. His first MRI following surgery, radiation and chemotherapy showed no evidence of actively growing tumor, an excellent response to initial treatment.

Throughout his recovery, Robichaux leaned on his wife, who drove him from Thibodaux to New Orleans each day for 30 radiation treatments, along with the support of his family, friends, colleagues and faith community.

"My faith in God, my wife Stephanie and the incredible support of our family, friends and community have carried me through this," he said. "What stands out to me most is that you cannot do this alone."

Today, Robichaux has returned to caring for patients in his medical practice while continuing treatment and close follow-up. He shared that the experience has forever changed the way he approaches both medicine and life.

"I don't take any day for granted anymore," he said. "I'm grateful to be back caring for my patients, spending time with my family and especially my grandchildren. I believe this experience will make me a better physician."

While glioblastoma remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, Odia says progress continues through advances in surgery, precision radiation, molecular testing, personalized treatment strategies and clinical trials.

"Patients today have more reasons than ever to be informed, engaged and hopeful," she said. "Every advance brings us one step closer to improving outcomes for people facing this disease."