Brain Tumor (cont.)In this Article
 What is the treatment for a brain tumor?
Comment on this
Read 1 Comment
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:
For some types of brain cancer, the doctor also needs to know whether cancer cells were found in the cerebrospinal fluid. Your doctor can describe your treatment choices, the expected results, and the possible side effects. Because cancer therapy often damages healthy cells and tissues, side effects are common. Before treatment starts, ask your health care team about possible side effects and how treatment may change your normal activities. You and your health care team can work together to develop a treatment plan that meets your medical and personal needs. You may want to talk with your doctor about taking part in a clinical trial, a research study of new treatment methods. See the Taking Part in Cancer Research section. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist, or you may ask for a referral. Specialists who treat brain tumors include neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and neuroradiologists. Your health care team may also include an oncology nurse, a registered dietitian, a mental health counselor, a social worker, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, and a physical medicine specialist. Also, children may need tutors to help with schoolwork. (The Rehabilitation section has more information about therapists and tutors.) You may want to ask your doctor these questions before you begin treatment:
Patient CommentsViewers share their comments
Brain Tumor - Types
Question: Please describe the type of brain tumor you have.
Brain Tumor - Symptoms
Question: The symptoms of brain tumor can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?
Brain Tumor - Treatment
Question: What kinds of treatment did you undergo for your brain tumor?
Brain Tumor - Surgery
Question: Please describe your experience with surgery for a brain tumor.
Brain Tumor - In Children
Question: Was your child diagnosed with a brain tumor? Please share your experience.
|
Suggested Reading on Brain Tumor by Our Doctors
-
Related Diseases & Conditions
28 articles-
Edema
- Edema is the swelling of tissues as a result of excess water accumulations. Peripheral edema occurs in the feet and legs. There are two types of edema,
-
Headache
- Headaches can be divided into two categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are
-
Dementia
- Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There
-
Hydronephrosis
- Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis
-
Seizure (Epilepsy)
- 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.
-
Encephalopathy
- Encephalopathy means brain disease, damage, or malfunction. Causes of encephalopathy are varied and numerous. The main symptom of encephalopathy is an
-
Hydrocephalus
- Hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain. The fluid is often under increased pressure and can compress
-
Nausea and Vomiting
- Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The
-
Brain Hemorrhage
- A brain hemorrhage is a type of stroke caused when an artery bursts in the brain, causing localized bleeding in the surrounding tissue. Causes of brain
-
Psychotic Disorders
- Psychotic disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affect the mind. Different types of psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective
-
Cancer
- 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
-
Hiccups
- Hiccups are a sudden, involuntary contraction of the diaphragm muscle. In general hiccups are just a temporary condition. Some of the causes of hiccups
-
Aphasia
- Aphasia is a condition that is the result of damage to portions of the brain. It can be caused by stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or infection. There
-
Brain Cancer
- Cancers that form from brain tissue are called primary brain tumors. Brain tumors may be malignant (brain cancer) or benign. Certain risk factors, such
-
Bladder Spasms
- People who have bladder spasms, the sensation occurs suddenly and often severely. A spasm itself is the sudden, involuntary squeezing of a muscle. A bladder
-
Hypothermia
- 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
-
Cluster Headaches
- The term cluster headache is a type of headache that recurs over a period of time. There are episodes that last one to three times a day during a period
-
Cancer Risk Factors
- Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing
-
Double Vision
- Double vision (diplopia) is a symptom that my indicate Graves' disease, myasthenia gravis, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, diabetes,
-
Antiemetics
- Nausea and vomiting are symptoms that may be caused by many conditions. Antiemetics are drugs that treat nausea and vomiting. Though some antiemetics for
-
Childhood Obesity
- Fast food consumption and lack of exercise are just a couple of causes of childhood obesity. Health effects of childhood obesity include type 2 diabetes,
-
Pseudotumor Cerebri (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension)
- Pseudotumor Cerebri (intracranial hypertension) is a condition where there is an increase in pressure of fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal
-
Brain Damage: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment
- Brain damage causes destruction or deterioration of brain cells. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acquired brain injury (ABI) are two kinds of brain damage.
-
Arachnoiditis
- Arachnoiditis is a painful condition that is caused by the inflammation of the arachnoid, a membrane that protects the nerves of the spinal cord. The condition
-
Cancer Fatigue
- Cancer fatigue is a lack of energy that is caused by cancer or cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy, or bone marrow
-
Adult Brain Tumors
- Adult brain tumors are diseases in which cancer (malignant) cells begin to grow in the tissues of the brain. The brain controls memory and learning, senses
-
Caregiving
- Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority
-
Headaches in Children
- Kids get headaches and migraines too. Many adults with headaches started having them as kids, in fact, 20% of adult headache sufferers say their headaches
-
Edema
-
Medications
2 articles -
Procedures & Tests
6 articles -
Pictures, Images & Quizzes
5 articles -
Doctor's & Expert's Views
8 articles -
Health News
17 articles -
Health Features
6 articles
