When malignant cells form in the tissues of the brain, it is called brain cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimated that in 2009, approximately 22,070 individuals were diagnosed with brain cancer in the United States). There are various treatment options, and patients may have one kind of treatment or a combination of treatments, depending on the type of brain cancer and the extent of disease.
Surgery
According to the American Cancer Society, surgery is a primary way of treating brain tumors. Removing as much tumor as is safely possible is typically the first step in brain cancer treatment. With some brain tumors, surgery, or surgery followed by radiation, is curative. If the entire tumor is not able to be removed, surgery is still helpful in reducing symptoms and reducing the amount of tumor in the brain, which can make chemotherapy or radiation more effective.
Radiation Therapy
This kind of therapy involves using high-energy rays to help kill or shrink cancer cells. It can be used as primary treatment, in conjunction with surgery, or palliatively to relieve symptoms. Radiation can be given externally, where radiation is aimed precisely to the area that is cancerous, or it can be given internally (brachytherapy), which consists of inserting radioactive pellets or wires into the area next to the tumor.
Chemotherapy
Using medication to kill cancer cells is called chemotherapy, and typically "chemo" is given intravenously or orally. Not all medications can cross the blood-brain barrier, which means they are not able to go into the brain and kill cancer cells, so these medications may be inserted into cerebrospinal fluid, in the brain or spinal canal. Typically, for brain cancer, chemotherapy is used for higher grade tumors and more advanced cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. Some chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of brain cancer include carboplatin, cisplatin, vincristine, etoposide and carmustine.
Targeted Therapies
Although targeted therapies are medications used to kill cancer, they work differently than general chemotherapy drugs because they target certain cells or proteins and typically have less side effects. One of these drugs is bevacizumab (brand name Avastin), which targets a certain growth factor that helps blood vessels grow and feed tumors. There are other targeted therapies that are being developed for future use.
