Brain tumors, including brain cancers, lead to an estimated 22,020 new tumor diagnoses and 13,140 deaths in the United States in 2010, reports the National Cancer Institute. Brain cancer can originate in two general groups of brain cells: the neurons, or nerve cells that transmit information within the brain and to the body; or the glia, the cells that improve neuron functioning and act as support cells within the brain. Brain cancers are classified according to the specific cell type affected as well as the aggressiveness of the tumor. Brain cancer procedures allow doctors to diagnose and treat several forms of brain cancer.
Brain Biopsy
A brain biopsy is a procedure commonly used to help doctors diagnose brain cancer. Although doctors can recognize the size and shape of a brain tumor using medical imaging such as an X-ray, these images alone cannot diagnose specific forms of cancer. A brain biopsy, the removal of a small piece of brain tumor tissue, allows doctors to examine the tumor under a microscope. By examining a biopsy, doctors can determine the type of brain tumor present and gain information about the severity and stage of the tumor. MedlinePlus indicates that a brain biopsy procedure involves drilling a small hole in the skull, creating a skull flap that allows the doctor to access the brain. The doctor uses a small needle to collect a sample of brain tumor tissue, then re-closes the skull flap.
Brain Cancer Surgery
Once doctors have definitely diagnosed the brain cancer, they may perform treatment procedures to treat the cancer. For small or relatively early-stage, less invasive brain cancer, brain surgery may remove the cancerous growth within the brain. For more advanced brain cancers, doctors may use brain surgery to remove part of the tumor before performing other treatments. CancerHelp UK indicates that like a biopsy, brain cancer surgery involves drilling a small hole into the skull and creating a skull flap to access the brain. Doctors then cut away any cancerous tissue from the brain. When possible, doctors avoid removing much healthy tissue around the periphery of the tumor, since the removal of healthy brain tissue can lead to life-long side effects after surgery. The doctor then re-closes the skull flap and stitches the scalp back together.
Whole Brain Radiation
Another brain cancer treatment procedure is whole brain radiation--exposing the entire brain to a dose of radiation aimed to damage cancer cells. RadiologyInfo.org notes that whole brain radiation is especially useful in treating cancer patients with multiple brain tumors. Most healthy cells within the brain are considered post-mitotic--they are fully mature and no longer undergo cell division. Since radiation therapy is most harmful to proliferating cells, like brain cancer cells, mature brain cells are typically left less harmed from whole brain radiation than the cancer cells. During the procedure, exposure to radiation damages the DNA within the brain cancer cells, and this irreparable damage ultimately causes brain cancer cell death. Patients may experience some loss of cognitive function after whole brain radiation, as some healthy tissue does undergo damage as a result of radiation exposure. Doctors can help lessen the side effects of whole brain radiation by avoiding centers of the brain that contain healthy proliferating cells.
