Medical treatments

Treatments vary depending on the type of tumor, its size and location. The malignant tumors are usually treated with combination therapies such as surgery chemotherapy and the radiotherapy.

Relatively high in children, the survival rate is variable in adults and depends on the type of tumor, its size, its infiltration into the surrounding tissues and the general operability of each person.².

Before starting treatment, after the tumor has been precisely located (MRI, scanner, Pet Scan, cerebral angiography, etc.), the doctor often performs a biopsy (removal of part of the tumor for the purpose of analyzing it) when the exact diagnosis of the type of tumor remains imprecise despite additional examinations. This is used to determine the nature of the tumor and whether it is benign or malignant (cancerous or not). The biopsy is done by drilling a small hole in the skull bone, and is done under local or general anesthesia.

surgery

If the tumor is accessible, the first option is to extract it from the brain (excision). This is the major therapeutic means in the treatment of brain tumors.². Resection surgery also makes it possible to confirm the results of the biopsy because many tumors are heterogeneous (uneven dispersion of tumor cells within the tumor itself). In some cases, tumor cells easily break away from surrounding brain tissue and the tumor can be extracted whole. In others, the tumor is located near critical or very sensitive areas, making surgery more risky. If the tumor is located near the optic nerve, for example, surgery could compromise vision. Whatever the case, the surgeon will always do his best to remove as much of the tumor as possible without reaching the essential areas of the brain.

Radiosurgery

If the tumor is not accessible to traditional surgery, gamma knife radiosurgery may be considered. More precise and powerful than radiotherapy, this technique uses powerful radiant beams, directed at once and precisely and directly on the tumor, for a few minutes or hours. It does not require an opening of the skull or a trephine hole.

Radiotherapy

If the rays are less powerful than those used in radiosurgery, they nevertheless make it possible to cover larger regions of the brain. In some cases, radiation therapy is directed at the tumor only. In others, the whole brain is irradiated, for example after surgery, to destroy remaining tumor cells, or when several tumors are lodged in the brain (metastasize) and cannot be removed by surgery. Finally, radiotherapy is used in the event of a tumor not entirely extracted.

Chemotherapy

Although brain tumors rarely metastasize outside the brain, chemotherapy is used to better control the disease. Some types of brain cancer respond to chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic agents can be administered intravenously or orally. In some cases, they can be injected into the spinal cord to target the nervous system only.

Innovative approaches consist in introducing directly into the brain, after surgery, a small disc diffusing chemotherapeutic agents into the brain tissues for a few weeks.

Order Tracking

Sometimes it is difficult to remove all of the cancer cells in the brain. If a few of them remain in the brain, the tumor may reappear. Regular monitoring and surveillance is therefore essential.

In addition, because of the possible neurological sequelae due to the tumor or its treatment due to the possible neurological sequelae due to the tumor or its treatment (control of movements or speech, etc.), a period of readjustment is often necessary. It requires the assistance of specialized practitioners with the help of specialized therapists (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, etc.).

Complementary approaches