Sen. Ted Kennedy, newly diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, had searched the nation for the best neurosurgeon to remove the growth -- and he wanted Friedman.

By the following Monday, a horde of reporters was camped outside Duke Medical Center, and Friedman was performing a tricky operation inside the brain of one of the country's most powerful politicians. It was at once an honor and a burden for a man who has spent 34 years building a reputation as one of the world's leading brain surgeons.

A successful surgery would be a boon to his career and to Duke. But the slightest mistake or problem would be scrutinized by the nation.

Fortunately, as a man who spends four days a week slicing into brains, Friedman is used to pressure. Kennedy's surgery was successful. And now, after hiding from the media during the initial frenzy, Friedman has agreed to step out of the shadows.

Friedman, 59, says operating on Kennedy provided a rare brush with celebrity. Kennedy had guards posted in the hallways and was taken to the heliport, away from the glare of cameras, for exercise.

But in most ways, the surgeon says, it was just another day on the job.

"It's not like you play your B game all the time, and now you're going to play your A game," he says.

Since coming to Duke as a medical resident in 1974, Friedman has helped build Duke's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center into a mecca for those seeking care after devastating diagnoses. It is one of a handful of such centers nationwide.

About 45,000 people will be diagnosed with brain tumors this year in the United States, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. Cancerous brain tumors are among the leading causes of cancer death for children.

When Friedman arrived at Duke, the center was a small group of doctors who cared only for children with brain tumors. He pushed to expand it and begin treating adults.

The center now sees patients from around the country, many of whom have been offered little hope of recovery or long-term survival. A team of oncologists, surgeons and psychologists work together to develop a treatment plan for each patient. Researchers study cases in hopes of developing new and more effective therapies.

Friedman does the bulk of the center's surgeries on adults.

Giving patients hope

Even after more than three decades caring for the desperate and dying, he still sees his job with the optimistic eyes of a new doctor. Many times his role is to extend a life rather than to save it, but he sees every day that he gains for a patient as a victory.

"You gave them hope, and they lived long enough to see their granddaughter or see their child graduate from high school," Friedman says.

Marc Samsky, a rising senior at Duke who plans to attend medical school, is part of a mentoring program that includes Friedman and other Duke doctors.

In following Friedman through his rounds, the student sensed the doctor's dedication not simply to medicine, but to patients.

"Just talking to him 10 minutes, you can tell he has a passion for helping people, and you can see it in the way he talks to his patients. He asks them how they are doing. His tone is very comforting," says Samsky. "His main concern is his patient, which is another reason Kennedy came here."

Friedman brings that caring approach to those he mentors, says Kim Imbesi, a rising Duke senior and lacrosse player who is considering becoming a doctor.

"He makes all of us call him Allan. We're not allowed to call him Dr. Friedman," she says, "He's very personal. He comes to my games."

Next page >

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.