If you have a brain tumor, our comprehensive, multidisciplinary team provides the most-up-to-date methods for diagnosis and treatment. Our goal is to restore your neurological function to meet your daily social needs.
Our dedicated neurosurgery team will use the latest methods for the diagnosis and treatment of your brain tumor. The team includes expert neurosurgeons, oncologists, and radiation oncologists.
You'll also be provided with support services, including nutrition consultations, integrative medicine, financial counseling, and referrals to support groups.
A brain tumor is a mass of cells in the brain that grows out of control and disrupts brain function.
A benign or non-cancerous tumor is the least aggressive type of brain tumor. This type of tumor comes from cells in or around the brain, does not spread to other tissue, has clear borders, and grows slowly.
A malignant or cancerous brain tumor has cancer cells, unclear borders, and is life-threatening. This type of tumor grows quickly and spreads to surrounding brain tissue.
The brain and spinal cord make up your central nervous system. Together they control nearly all your mental and physical functions, from walking and talking, to thinking and breathing.
There are more than 120 types of brain and central nervous system tumors. A tumor of the brain can cause serious problems by growing and pushing on certain areas of the brain or increasing pressure inside the skull.
Tumors are often named based on the type of brain cell or part of the brain where they begin to grow:
Primary: This type of noncancerous or cancerous tumor begins and grows in the brain.
Secondary: Also called metastatic, this type of cancerous tumor starts somewhere else in the body and spreads to the brain. The tumor is named based on the location in the body where the cancer began.
Noncancerous or benign brain tumors tend to not spread and usually don't return if the entire tumor is removed during surgery.
Common benign primary brain tumors include:
Cancerous or malignant brain tumors rarely spread throughout the body. However, they invade and spread into surrounding, normal brain tissue and can sometimes spread to remote portions of the brain.
Surgery is often the first step in treating malignant brain tumors, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Common malignant primary brain tumors include:
While primary brain tumors can be malignant or benign, metastatic brain tumors are always malignant.
Any kind of cancer can spread to the brain, but certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer or lung cancer, are more likely to do so.
Accurate brain tumor diagnosis from our expert neurosurgeons and oncologists is essential to determine your type of brain tumor and the treatment you require. Our team develops a unique plan for your condition.
Almost always, the first step in diagnosis is a careful physical examination and understanding of your health history.
Important points of your health history include the presence of headaches, seizures, or neurologic deficits, and their onset and progression over time.
A neurological exam checks your vision, hearing, strength, balance, coordination, memory, reflexes, and alertness.
Next, you'll have specialized diagnostic procedures that may include:
Surgery is a common treatment for many types of brain tumors. With some slow-growing tumors, it may be the only treatment needed to fully remove the tumor and relieve symptoms.
For cancerous brain tumors, surgery might be followed by other treatments.
The type of surgery for a brain tumor is determined by several factors:
For most brain surgeries, your neurosurgeon removes a small piece of your skull, called a craniotomy, to get to your brain tumor. This piece of skull is replaced at the end of the surgery and held in place with small titanium plates and screws.
Brain tumors are removed during surgery using:
Your neurosurgeon will customize your surgical plan. They will have an honest discussion with you about the benefits and risks of removing your brain tumor.
Most surgeries have the goal of removing the entire tumor, called a total resection, in a safe manner. However, sometimes a total resection of your tumor is not possible or is unsafe.
A subtotal resection, also called debulking surgery, is when your surgeon removes as much of your tumor as safely possible, intentionally leaving some tumor behind to minimize the risk of harming your healthy brain tissue.
After surgery, other therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be recommended if your tumor is malignant.
If you have brain-tumor surgery, you will need time to rest, recover, and heal.
The following factors will affect your recovery time:
The reasons why you may have a brain tumor are often unknown. It’s important that you speak with your doctor immediately if you experience any neurological symptoms.
Doctors often do not know why a person develops a brain tumor. However, studies have found the following risk factors for brain tumors:
Symptoms of a brain tumor may include:
It's important to talk to your doctor if you notice unusual neurological symptoms.
