Brain cancer and spinal cord tumors are typically grouped together into a group known as central nervous system, or CNS, tumors. There are many different kinds of brain tumors, and treatment depends on the kind of brain cancer, the tumor's location in the brain and the overall health of the patient. Side effects of treatments vary, but are usually manageable and many subside once treatment has ended.
Significance
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 22,020 new diagnoses of brain and spinal cord tumors will be made in 2010 in the United States, and over 13,000 individuals will die from these tumors. The lifetime risk of developing a central nervous system tumor is one in 150 for a man, and one in 185 for a woman, says the American Cancer Society.
Surgery
Depending on the type of brain tumor and its location in the brain, surgery is a treatment option. The main goal of surgery for brain tumors is to remove as much tumor as possible while causing as little damage as possible to healthy brain tissue, says the American Cancer Society. A temporary shunt may be placed in the cranial cavity to release pressure that has built up by the blockage of cerebrospinal fluid due to the tumor. A major complication of surgery for brain cancer is swelling in the brain; to help prevent this, corticosteroids are administered post-surgery. During the operation, concern about removing too much healthy tissue and affecting brain function is an issue, so surgeons typically remove only as much tissue as necessary.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses radiation or high-energy x-rays to slow down cancer cell replication and kill cancer cells, says the National Cancer Institute. External beam radiation for brain cancer involves using a machine to aim radiation to the cancerous area. Another radiation option to treat brain cancer is stereotactic radiosurgery, which uses a high-dose, very precise radiation dose aimed right at the cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Side effects of radiation therapy can include nausea, vomiting, headache, irritability and fatigue.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, and the Mayo Clinic says that for brain cancer, chemotherapy can be given orally in pill form, intravenously or even placed in the cancerous area as a drug-filled disk during surgery. The American Cancer Society states that chemotherapy is often given along with other treatments like surgery or radiation, and it is typically used for high-grade tumors. Drugs used include carmustine, temozolomide, carboplatin, etoposide, irinotecan, methotrexate and vincristine. Though not everyone will experience all of them, side effects can include hair loss, mouth sores, appetite loss, fatigue, and nausea and vomiting.
Targeted Therapy
The Mayo Clinic also lists targeted therapy as a treatment option for brain cancer. Targeted therapies are drugs that attack specific abnormalities of cancer cells and help kill the cancer cells. For brain tumors, targeted therapies include the drugs bevacizumab (brand name Avastin), which cuts off blood supply to tumors, thus cutting off their nutrition source and starving them.
References
- American Cancer Society: What are the key statistics about brain and spinal cord tumors?
- American Cancer Society: Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors: Surgery
- American Cancer Society: Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors: Radiation Therapy
- MayoClinic.com: Brain tumor: Treatments and drugs
- American Cancer Society: Brain Tumor: Chemotherapy
