A type of cancer that starts in the lymphatic system, central nervous system or CNS lymphoma accounts for 0.85 to 2 percent of primary brain tumors, according to the University of California Los Angeles Health System. Patients with certain conditions, like AIDS, have an increased risk of developing CNS lymphoma. The National Brain Tumor Society points out that men are twice as likely as women to have CNS lymphoma. Patients can have speech problems, headaches, seizures and vision problems.
Surgery
Some CNS lymphoma patients may undergo surgery. The University of California Los Angeles Health System notes that the main role of surgery with CNS lymphoma is a tumor biopsy. With the biopsy, the doctor makes a small surgical incision to the skull which she uses to take a sample of the tumor. The tumor sample ensures that the doctor makes the correct brain cancer diagnosis, which helps with finding the proper treatment program. The National Brain Tumor Society adds that surgery other than a biopsy is not common because patients can have more than one tumor, which the surgeon may not be able to remove during surgery.
Chemotherapy
Another treatment option for CNS lymphoma includes chemotherapy, which involves administering cancer-killing drugs. The National Cancer Institute explains that the treatment for CNS lymphoma related to AIDS is different because side effects may become more severe for these patients. For example, CNS lymphoma patients without AIDS may have just chemotherapy alone, while doctors may give patients chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy to both types of CNS lymphoma patients. Patients with CNS lymphoma without AIDS may receive a high-dose of chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant, though this is a clinical trial treatment.
Radiation Therapy
The University of California Los Angeles Health System points out that 80 percent of patients have a complete response of radiation therapy, in which the radiation treats the tumor. The amount of radiation given to the patient depends on the size of the tumor and its location in the brain. For example, if sensitive tissues surround the tumor, the doctor will not give the patient a high dosage of radiation. The National Cancer Institute adds that non-AIDS CNS lymphoma patients may undergo whole brain radiation therapy, in which the doctor gives radiation to the entire brain instead of a localized area.
Steroid Therapy
Since CNS lymphoma tumors are sensitive to steroids, patients may undergo steroid therapy, which uses corticosteroid drugs. The benefits of steroid therapy tend to go away by six months post-treatment, but some patients may have effects that last longer. The University of California Los Angeles Health System explains size reduction of the tumor can occur within hours of the therapy. The National Cancer Institute adds that patients may have steroid therapy with or without radiation.
