How is a brain tumor treated?
Some combination of biopsy, surgical resection, radiation therapy and chemotherapy is employed in the treatment of brain tumors. The exact treatment strategy depends on the exact type of brain tumor. Before any treatment plan can be established the type of tumor should be confirmed by either biopsy or surgical resection. Surgical resection is the mainstay in the treatment of most brain tumors. Surgical resection accomplishes several goals: it establishes a tissue diagnosis for the tumor, it relieves pressure that the tumor is placing on surrounding brain, and it decreases the number of tumor cells in the brain potentially making additional radiation and chemotherapy more effective. Biopsy is usually reserved for obtaining a tissue diagnosis when the tumor is located in a surgically inaccessible part of the brain. Depending upon the tumor type additional chemotherapy and radiation may be required.
The standard treatments for brain tumors are surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy. In general, radiation and chemotherapy treatments are used as secondary or adjuvant treatments for tumors that cannot be managed using only surgery. However, radiation and chemotherapy may be used without surgery if the tumor is inoperable. In many cases, at the time of diagnosis, treatment decisions must be made quickly, especially with regard to surgery. When possible, the doctor and family will discuss a treatment plan based on the type and location of the tumor. In treating brain tumors, a multi-disciplinary treatment team, made up of various specialists, is generally considered the preferred approach. Neurosurgeons, neurologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and other medical professionals may be part of the treatment team. For more on how brain tumors are treated, please visit Treatment Information.
Surgery is the chief form of treatment for brain tumors that lie within the membranes covering the brain or in parts of the brain that can be removed without damaging critical neurological functions. Because a tumor will recur if any tumor cells are left behind, the surgeon’s goal is to remove the entire tumor whenever possible. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy, in general, are used as secondary or adjuvant treatment for tumors that cannot be cured by surgery alone. Radiosurgery is used as both a primary and an adjunctive therapy for many brain disorders.
Treatment depends on the nature of the tumor. For high-grade primary brain tumors, treatment typically consists of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. For low-grade tumors, treatment might consist of surgery and/or radiation therapy. For metastatic brain tumors, treatment typically consists (when possible) of surgery and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic brain tumors is currently being investigated.
