How to Treat a Brain Tumor

Receiving a diagnosis of brain tumor is a devastating event for a patient and his family. The method to treat a brain tumor will depend on the type and location. There are primary and secondary tumors. In addition, a tumor can be benign or malignant.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Determine the Treatment for Brain Tumor

1. Expect a team of doctors to treat a brain tumor. This will include some or all of the following: a neurosurgeon (specializes in brain surgery), an oncologist (specializes in cancer), a radiologist (specializes in performing and reading medical images), a radiation oncologist (specializes in radiation therapy) and a neurologist (specializes in the nervous system and brain functions).
2. Prepare for the initial treatment to include steroid medications. These are given to reduce inflammation and swelling of the brain tissue in and around the tumor.
3. Anticonvulsant medications may be prescribed if seizures are present or suspected.
4. Prepare for surgery as the main course of action to treat a brain tumor. This intervention may remove all of the tumor, or it may be possible to only remove a portion of the tumor. Some tumors cannot be removed surgically.
5. Anticipate radiation to be used to treat a brain tumor. Radiation is effective in destroying the cancer cells in the brain.
6. Plan on a course of chemotherapy to kill cancerous cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy may be used alone or in conjunction with radiation and surgery.
7. Explore the latest treatments for brain tumors on the Mayo Clinic website (see Resources below). Methods include stereotactic localization, stereotactic radiosurgery, drug-delivering implants and other approaches.

Determine Follow-up

8. Understand the possibility of a brain tumor returning after a lengthy remission. Monitoring usually consists of MRI or CT scans on a regular basis (depending on the type of tumor).
9. Stay in rehabilitation as long as it takes to recover lost function. While some brain function may be permanently lost, through proper help, much progress can be made in speech, vision, motor skills and thinking.
10. Set up regular appointments with the cognitive rehabilitation specialists at your hospital. This will help you learn how to deal with changes in cognitive abilities.
11. Look for physical and vocational therapists to help you regain motor skills, muscle strength and the ability to return to work following brain surgery.

Tips & Warnings

• Brain tumors can occur at any age, but the most common ages are under 8 years and over 65 years of age. Treatment is determined by the type of tumor in consideration of the age of the patient.