Can surgery treat my primary central nervous system lymphoma?

Surgery has not been shown to prolong survival in people with primary central nervous system lymphoma. This cancer tends to cause tumors that are either too deep within the brain or too widespread to remove. In addition, cancerous cells are often missed resulting in regrowth of the tumor. However, there is a role for surgical biopsy (removing part of the tumor) for diagnosis. In addition, surgery may be used to alleviate the consequences of life-threatening brain swelling.