Different types of treatment are available for patients with adult brain
tumor. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are
being tested in clinical trials. Before starting treatment, patients may want to
think about taking part in a clinical trial. A treatment clinical trial is a
research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on
new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new
treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become
the standard treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. To learn more
about clinical trials, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615. Information about ongoing clinical
trials is available from the NCI Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer
treatment is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health
care team.
Three types of standard treatment are used.
Surgery: Surgery is used,
when possible, to treat adult brain tumor, as described in the Description
section of this summary.
Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment
that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells.
There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a
machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal
radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds,
wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way
the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer
being treated.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy
is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of
cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from
dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle,
the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body
(systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal
column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect
cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). A dissolving wafer may be
used to deliver an anticancer drug directly into the brain tumor site after the
tumor has been removed by surgery. The way the chemotherapy is given depends on
the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized. There are many causes of epilepsy. Treatment of epilepsy (seizures) depends upon the cause and type of seizures experienced.
Encephalopathy means brain disease, damage, or malfunction. Causes of encephalopathy are varied and numerous. The main symptom of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Other symptoms include lethargy, dementia, seizures, tremors, and coma. Treatment of encephalopathy depends on the type of encephalopathy (anoxia, diabetic, Hashimoto's, hepatic, hyper - hypotensive, infectious, metabolic, infections, uremic, or Wernicke's) are examples of types of encephalopathy.
Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis include nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infection, fever, painful urination, increased urinary frequency and urgency, flank pain, and swelling of the abdomen. Treatment of hydronephrosis depends on the cause.
Hypothermia is having a body core temperature of less than 35 C or 95 F. Most causes of hypothermia are preventable. Risk factors for hypothermia include age, mental status, medical conditions, and medications. Symptoms of hypothermia generally depend upon the severity of the condition. Treatment depends upon the severity of hypothermia. If not treated early, hypothermia can lead to cardiac arrest, coma, or death.
Brain lesions (lesions on the brain) are caused by trauma, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancers, other diseases, stroke, bleeding, pituitary adenomas, and cerebral palsy. Symptoms of brain lesions include headache, nausea, fever, neck pain and stiffness, affected vision and speech, weakness or paralysis to one side of the body. Diagnosis of brain lesions is generally with imaging studies like CT or MRI scans. Treatment and prognosis of brain lesions depends on the cause of the lesion.
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