Brain Tumors

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• QHow are brain tumors treated?

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  A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  People with brain tumors have several treatment options. The options are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Many people get a combination of treatments.

  The choice of treatment depends mainly on the following:

  • The type and grade of brain tumor
  • Its location in the brain
  • Its size
  • Your age and general health

  For some types of brain cancer, the doctor also needs to know whether cancer cells were found in the cerebrospinal fluid.

  Surgery
  Surgery is the usual first treatment for most brain tumors. Before surgery begins, you may be given general anesthesia, and your scalp is shaved. You probably won't need your entire head shaved.
  Surgery to open the skull is called a craniotomy. The surgeon makes an incision in your scalp and uses a special type of saw to remove a piece of bone from the skull.

  Radiation Therapy
  Radiation therapy kills brain tumor cells with high-energy x-rays, gamma rays, or protons.
  Radiation therapy usually follows surgery. The radiation kills tumor cells that may remain in the area. Sometimes, people who can't have surgery have radiation therapy instead.

  Chemotherapy
  Chemotherapy, the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, is sometimes used to treat brain tumors.

  This answer is based on source information from the National Cancer Institute.

• QWhat are the risk factors for a brain tumor?

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  A Portsmouth Regional Hospital answered

  The risk factors for brain tumors are radiation and smoking, but they can occur with no known cause.

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• QHow does a brain tumor affect the body?

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  A Dr. Angela N. Mark, MD , Neurology, answered on behalf of NorthShore University HealthSystem

  Brain tumors can affect the body in different ways, depending on the location. It can cause numbness or weakness in the face, arm, leg or torso. It can cause imbalance, poor coordination of the arms or legs, blindness, hearing loss, vertigo or decrease the ability to speak or understand language. It can cause headache especially if there is associated increased pressure in the brain. It can also cause changes in behavior and seizures.

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• QHow are brain tumors diagnosed?

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  A Dr. Tania B. Kaprealian, MD , Radiation Oncology, answered on behalf of UCLA Health

  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without contrast is a common tool for diagnosing brain tumors. There’s also surgery, whether it be a biopsy, a subtotal resection (incomplete resection), a near-total resection or a gross-total resection (complete resection). These are all helpful for pathology, so doctors can look under the microscope and determine what exactly the tumor is.

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• QWhat are the different types of brain tumors?

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  A Dr. Tania B. Kaprealian, MD , Radiation Oncology, answered on behalf of UCLA Health

  There are many different types of brain tumors. Primary brain tumors originate in the brain and can be benign or malignant. Various types of brain tumors include meningiomas and gliomas, which include astrocytoma, oligoastrocytoma, oligodendroglioma and glioblastoma. There are also pituitary adenomas, acoustic schwannomas and central nervous system lymphoma to name a few.
  
  Secondary brain tumors, known as metastases, spread from a different source of the body to the brain (a breast or lung cancer that has spread to the brain, for example). 
• QWho is involved in the radiation treatment of a person with a brain tumor?

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  A Dr. Tania B. Kaprealian, MD , Radiation Oncology, answered on behalf of UCLA Health

  A team of people are involved in the radiation treatment of brain tumors: the doctor, both the attending doctor and  the resident doctor at an academic facility; the nurse and radiation therapists who work with the patients to set them up on the table for radiation treatment. Physicists and dosimetrists do the behind-the-scenes planning for the person.
• QHow are glioblastomas treated?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Treatment for glioblastomas typically includes surgery to remove the tumor and chemotherapy. Glioblastomas are considered an aggressive brain cancer and commonly reoccur. Treatment for glioblastomas is advancing, and future treatments may also include the use of immunotherapy to attack the cancer.

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• QHow do I find an Interventional Radiologist in my area?

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  A Dr. John C. Lipman, MD , Vascular & Interventional Radiology, answered

  The Society of Interventional Radiology website can find Interventional Radiologists throughout the United States. The website is www.SIRweb.org. By choosing the state that you live in, you will see the cities in that state listed alphabetically. Under each city the individual IRs are listed also in alphabetical order along with their phone number.
• QWhat is a malignant brain tumor?

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  A Dr. Vincent T DeVita Jr , Oncology, answered

  A malignant brain tumor is a cancer that started in the cells of the brain. Unlike cancers that start in other parts of the body, tumors that start in the brain or spinal cord rarely spread to distant organs. They cause damage because they grow and spread into nearby areas, where they can destroy normal brain tissue. Still, tumors of the brain or spinal cord are rarely considered benign (non-cancerous). This is because unless they are completely removed or destroyed, most brain or spinal cord tumors will continue to grow and eventually be life-threatening – even those that are not cancer.
  Primary brain tumors can start in almost any type of tissue or cell in the brain or spinal cord. Some tumors contain a mixture of cell types. Tumors in different areas of the central nervous system may be treated differently and have a different prognosis (outlook).
• QWhat are the warning signs of a brain tumor?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Approximately 50% of patients who have brain tumors report headaches. Bear in mind that headaches are very common and brain cancer is very uncommon. It's only very specific types of chronic headaches -- those that wake you up in the middle of the night or in the morning -- that may indicate a brain tumor and should be brought immediately to your doctor's attention.
  
  Additional Warning Signs:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Blurred vision
  • Balance problems
  • Tingling in the arms or legs
  • Personality or behavior changes
  • Seizures
  • Drowsiness

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