A brain tumor's therapy is determined by various criteria, including its size, type, growth rate, and location in the brain. Your doctor will collaborate with you to determine the best course of therapy. For certain forms of brain tumors, surgery may be the primary option. It can remove all or part of the tumor while relieving pressure inside your skull (intracranial pressure).
Certain forms of brain tumors are treated with chemotherapy. It is frequently used in conjunction with surgery and radiation therapy. Some rare malignancies, such as glioblastoma and melanoma, can also be treated with it as a single treatment.
Chemotherapy drugs enter the brain and spinal cord via the blood-brain barrier, killing cancer cells. It can be administered orally (as a tablet or drink) or intravenously. Before you begin treatment, your doctor will go over the medications that will be utilized. Some chemotherapy medicines, such as cisplatin and carboplatin, can induce kidney damage and hearing loss.
Chemotherapy is administered in a hospital or clinic. The doctor administers the medications via a small tube known as a catheter. Your cancer type determines your chemotherapy experience, the number of sessions you receive, and your overall health. You should consult your doctor for advice on how to deal with any adverse effects that may occur.
Radiation therapy employs high-energy beams to eliminate cancer cells in the brain. It is frequently used with surgery and chemotherapy to treat some brain tumors.
Based on your diagnosis and preferences, your doctor will recommend the optimal treatment plan for you. Each treatment option is intended to decrease or control the tumor, relieve your symptoms, or prevent the growth of new tumors.
Depending on the location of your tumor, radiotherapy to the brain can be delivered in various methods. It can be administered by a machine that fires radiation beams or by a catheter (a thin, hollow tube that administers liquid radiation).
There is also a computer-aided procedure known as 3D conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) that allows your doctor to guide radiation beams directly at your tumor while sparing healthy tissue from high doses of radiation.
Implant radiation is another type that uses radioactive material put into or near your tumor. Each day, these implants lose a small amount of radiation, which helps to limit brain damage.
A brain tumor can be removed or reduced in size through surgery. Removing the tumor can help relieve neurological symptoms, offer tissue for genetic investigation, and make other treatment options more effective.
Surgery can also reduce pressure caused by a brain tumor pressing on the brain. Depending on your demands and the type of brain tumor, the surgery may be conducted under general anesthetic or sedation.
A variety of imaging examinations may be performed prior to surgery. These scans produce incredibly detailed images of your brain's structures, nerves, and blood arteries.
Your doctor will be able to assess which brain tumor therapies are best for you based on the findings of these tests.
Targeted therapy: Your doctor may recommend clinical trials of new medications being developed and evaluated to treat brain tumors. These medications can be used alone or in combination with regular chemotherapy to kill tumor cells while leaving healthy brain tissue alone.
Stereotactic surgery: Using computer technology to generate a three-dimensional image (stereotaxy), clinicians can precisely map the tumor before performing a biopsy, laser ablation, or other invasive treatment. This method increases the possibility of removing a large tumor while avoiding vital parts of the brain that must function normally.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with brain cancer, you should think about Palliative Care. It is a specialist medical care for those with serious illnesses that help relieve pain and other disease-related symptoms.
It can assist you or a loved one in dealing with the physical and psychological side effects of treatment, such as exhaustion, nausea, and lack of appetite. It also offers emotional assistance in the form of therapy and support groups.
Palliative care might be provided at your home, hospital, clinic, rehab center, or nursing home. Patients having NHS healthcare are exempt. Your doctor or another member of your healthcare team will assist you in understanding the advantages and disadvantages of palliative care. If you require additional information, there are numerous resources accessible both online and in your local region.
Talking about end-of-life care can be uncomfortable, but it is critical to have accurate information so that you or a loved one can make the best decisions for you. End-of-life care is about ensuring that your loved one is comfortable and in their preferred location at the end of their life and that their treatment goals are accomplished.