Brain Tumor Treatments

Patients with brain tumors have a variety of treatment options. The particular treatment that each patient receives depends on several characteristics of the tumor, including:
  • Location: Which part of the brain is affected?
  • Size: How large is the tumor?
  • Stage: How aggressive is the tumor and how far has it progressed?
  • Type: Is it a primary or secondary (metastasized) tumor?
The treatment may also depend on the age and wishes of the patient; some patients choose to be more involved in the treatment decisions. A patient also usually has the option to get a second opinion from another doctor if he is uncertain about the treatment plan his primary physician or surgeon suggests. Each type of treatment has risks, and survival rates depend of a variety of factors.

Brain Tumor Treatments

Brain tumor treatments may involve the use of one or more of the following techniques:
  • Chemotherapy
  • Craniotomy
  • Radiation therapy
  • Radiosurgery
  • Surgery
  • Targeted drug therapy.

Brain Tumor Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill tumor cells. However, as a treatment for a brain tumor, chemotherapy is not one of the primary choices. It works by stopping cell reproduction, but brain cells divide very slowly, so brain tumor chemotherapy is often not as useful as other treatments.

Brain Tumor Surgery

If the tumor is in a favorable location and the patient is in good health, brain tumor surgery is often the primary treatment of choice for brain tumor treatment. A craniotomy involves temporarily removing a portion of the skull to gain access to brain tissue for tumor removal. This type of invasive surgery is necessary for some larger types of tumors, and may be able to remove all infected cells in the brain.

Radiation Treatment

Radiation therapy, or "radiotherapy," is a treatment that uses high-energy particles—such as x-rays, gamma rays or protons—to kill tumor cells directly. This type of therapy is often used in conjunction with surgery to kill hidden cells left behind after removal of the primary tumor. During radiosurgery, several external beams of radiation are directed at the tumor from different angles for a very intense and localized radiation treatment.

Targeted Drug Therapy

Many of the targeted drug therapies available to treat brain tumors are still in the clinical trial stage. Most of these drugs kill cancer cells by taking advantage of their abnormalities or weaknesses. Still other drugs work to cut off the blood supply to the tumor, killing cancerous cells.
Very new treatments are available to a small percentage of patients who are not responding to other methods. These clinical trials are experimental treatments to determine if a certain new drug is effective. For treatment of a brain tumor, alternative medicine is not widely considered as an effective option, other than to help patients cope with side effects and recovery.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gastrointestinal Defects

Birth defects, also known as "congenital abnormalities," are structural defects in some part or system of the body that can affect the body's function. These congenital defects occur during fetal development, and are present in a baby from birth. Like other complex body systems, the gastrointestinal system (or digestive system), responsible for digestion and extracting nutrients from food, is vulnerable to congenital defects during its development. Healthy Gastrointestinal Tract Function The gastrointestinal system is made up of several organs, including the: Mouth Esophagus Stomach Small intestine: Duodenum, jejunum and ileum Large intestine: Cecum, colon, rectum and anus. In healthy people, food enters the mouth, and is chewed and swallowed, passing through the esophagus to the stomach. The stomach breaks down the food, then passes it into the intestines, where it is digested further, and particles from the food can be absorbed. Waste is stored in the r
Keep reading

Hypersomnia: An Overview

Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by sleeping too much, experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness or a combination of the two. Hypersomnia is not the same as feeling tired due to poor quality sleep or not getting enough sleep. Often, people with hypersomnia fall asleep suddenly throughout the day, a symptom the condition shares with narcolepsy. Symptoms of Hypersomnia Symptoms of hypersomnia often develop in adolescence or early adulthood. People with hypersomnia may sleep for up to 12 hours at a time, but still wake up feeling tired. Individuals may struggle to wake up after deep sleep and seem disoriented and confused. Hypersomnia often develops gradually, making it difficult for people to realize they are sleeping too much. Signs associated with hypersomnia include: Anxiety Headaches Irritation Loss of appetite Low energy levels Memory problems "Nap attacks" during the day Restlessness Sleeping too much Slow speech Slow thought proce
Keep reading

Irritable Bowel Disease Syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a very common disorder that affects the functioning of the bowel. Although the severity of the condition (also occasionally called  spastic colon ) can vary considerably from one patient to another, typical characteristics include changes in bowel habits ranging from diarrhea to constipation, cramp-like pains, bloating and a feeling of "gassiness." For some sufferers, IBS is little more than a minor inconvenience; for others it can be totally disabling. In extreme cases, the patient is unable to travel, function in the workplace or enjoy socializing. Common Misconceptions Irritable bowel syndrome is not . . . an imaginary disease.  IBS has biological causes and biological symptoms and is certainly not a condition that is "all in your mind. " caused by other diseases  such as gallstones or ulcers. an infection , although it can sometimes be triggered by a bout of gastroenteritis or similar digestive system disorders. hereditary . a precursor to c
Keep reading