How is Brain Cancer Treated

How is brain cancer treated - Various treatments are offered to patients with cancer of the brain or the nervous system; the choice is a function of, among other things, the type of cancer, the stage of disease at diagnosis and the location of the tumor. Generally, surgery is the treatment for cancer of the nervous system unless the tumor is inaccessible or located in a place that is delicate such as the center of the word, vision, or motor functions. Some tumors are so aggressive that they also require radiation therapy.
How is Brain Cancer Treated

How is Brain Cancer Treated

Surgery is usually the chosen treatment for a brain tumor. It is a question of opening the skull (craniotomy) to remove the tumor. How is brain cancer treated - Both tumors and surgery can cause damage to the brain.

Radiation therapy may be required after surgery to treat a tumor that would not have been completely removed. It can also be used when surgery is not possible or for tumors that keep coming back after surgery or chemotherapy. Radiation therapy involves using radiation to high-energy X-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons and other sources to kill cancer cells and to reduce the size of a tumor. The radiation may come from a device outside the body (external beam radiation) or may come from radioactive material placed inside the body near the tumor (brachytherapy). How is brain cancer treated - The systemic radiation therapy uses radioactive substances such as monoclonal antibodies labeled with radioactivity circulating in the blood flow throughout the body. This procedure is also called irradiation.
See also: How to Prevent Brain Cancer
Chemotherapy may be necessary after surgery or with radiation therapy. Chemotherapy drugs administered by tablets or by injections can slow and sometimes even halt the progression of tumors and their spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy is a powerful treatment affecting the whole body, even the normal cells. The damage caused to the normal cells are responsible for the side effects. The damage is usually temporary and healthy cells to repair themselves.

Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances, such as antibodies, to identify and attack specific cancer cells. Targeted therapy causes fewer side effects than other types of treatments.

How is brain cancer treated - Hormonal therapy is a treatment to administer, block, or remove hormones. In certain conditions (diabetes or menopause), hormones are given to lower the level of certain hormones. To slow down or completely stop the growth of some cancers (prostate and breast), synthetic hormones and other medications may be administered to slow down the normal production of hormones by the body. Sometimes, surgery is needed to remove the gland that produces certain hormones. This therapy is also called therapy endocrine and hormone treatment.