Brain Cancer Specialist

What is brain cancer?

Brain cancer is a condition where a malignant tumor grows in or on the brain.

Many types of tumors can affect the brain. Some of these tumors are benign, which means they’re noncancerous and could have been growing slowly for several years. Others are malignant, which means they’re cancerous.

Primary tumors originate in the brain or other tissues in your skull, whereas metastatic tumors spread from parts of the body where cancer is already developing, traveling via the bloodstream into the brain.

Brain cancer generally develops as a result of mutations in the DNA inside the body’s cells. The mutation enables cells to multiply without restraint, causing the growth of tumors. Cancer can develop without a specific cause beyond this genetic cell mutation, but some cancers develop more readily in people who smoke tobacco or suffer radiation exposure.

What are the symptoms of brain cancer?

Typical symptoms of brain cancer include:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Lethargy
• Seizures
• Imbalance
• Weakness
• Personality changes
• Confusion
• Changes in vision
• Speech deficits
• Memory loss

While many patients who have brain cancer do experience symptoms, some people don’t have any idea they have a tumor until it’s picked up by accident when they undergo a diagnostic procedure for an unrelated reason.

How is brain cancer treated?

Treatment for brain cancer depends on the type of tumor, where it is, how large it is, and the individual patient’s needs and wishes. It is common for patients to require a combination of therapies. Potential treatments for brain cancer include:

Surgery

Brain cancer surgery involves removing the cancerous tumor from the brain. This type of treatment may be suitable, depending on the size, location, or risk involved in the tumor's removal. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves taking medication that kills cancer cells. As with any medication, side effects are possible.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy targets and eliminates or slows the growth of cancer cells by damaging their DNA so that they are less likely to reproduce and spread through the body.

SBRT

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is a targeted, localized treatment method to precisely target and treat the cancerous cells, without impacting the surrounding tissue.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a special type of treatment that helps your body’s immune system fight cancer and other diseases. Your doctor often administers immunotherapy drugs intravenously (through an IV).

Staging your cancer 

To determine the best treatment for your  cancer, the team at the Houston Cancer Institute, PA, stages your cancer using state-of-the-art Cat Scan or PET/CT imaging.

The scans show how large the tumor is, how deeply it extends , and whether it's spread to other areas. This will help our team at the Houston Cancer Institute, PA  identify what stage of cancer you  have and tailor your treatment plan to that stage for optimal outcomes and recovery. 

If you have any unexplained neurological symptoms or are diagnosed with a brain tumor, call Houston Cancer Institute, PA, or book online today.