Brain tumor treatment

Treatment for brain tumors depends of a variety of factors. They include pathohistological type of the tumor, its localization and size as well as the overall health of the patient. Patient's age is also taken into consideration before the doctor opts for specific treatment modality or even a combination of several treatment modalities. Not all the brain tumors are treated. Those tumors which appear to be benign and in case they do not grow or cause no symptoms at all are only observed. Patients with such tumor go for regular check-ups and occasional MRI of the head gives perfect insight in the progress or stagnation of the disease.

If the treatment is necessary it may include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The scientists are investigating a vaccine for recurrent glioma of central nervous system. Still this therapeutic approach is not available yet.

Prior the treatment and in some cases during the treatment there may be certain side effects such as swelling of the brain. This side effect can be brought under control with specific medications. Also patients with brain tumor commonly suffer from seizures and they require life-time anticonvulsants.

Surgery for Brain Tumors

Surgical removal of the tumor is the most common procedure performed. It includes either total or partial excision of the tumor which basically depends on its localization. In some brain tumors such as tumors of brain stem surgery is not possible because it carries significant risk. Inoperable patients are treated with other treatment modalities. Even if tumor has been only partially removed the symptoms of the disease significantly improve. In some patients this is definitive treatment modality while other needs to undergo additional therapies. In inoperable tumors a surgeon may perform biopsy to determine pathohistological type of the tumor which will be of additional help in choosing the correct therapy.

Radiation Therapy

This treatment modality is applied in inoperable patients and in those who has undergone only partial resection of the tumor. This therapy uses the power of high energy rays which actually kill the tumor cells. External radiation uses rays originating from a large machine. The entire dose given to the tumor basically depends on the type of the tumor and general health of the patients. The doctors take care that surrounding structures do not suffer serious damage. In some cases radioactive materials are placed directly into the tumor and they are left for certain period of time.

A special type of radiation therapy is stereotactic radio surgery. In it a fine, single-focused high dose of radiation is precisely given to the target.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapeutics in brain cancers can be given orally or they are administered intravenously. Still since the passage of medications from the blood into the cerebrospinal fluid is not satisfying the best way of administration of chemotherapeutics is intrathecal application. In intrathecal application, the drug is directly injected into the cerebrospinal fluid.