Treatments for brain and spinal cord tumours

Your healthcare team will create a treatment plan just for you. The plan is based on your health and specific information about the cancer. What you want is also important when planning treatment. When deciding which treatments to offer for brain and spinal cord tumours, your healthcare team will consider:

  • the type, grade and location of the tumour
  • any genetic changes found in the cancer cells
  • the size of the tumour
  • your neurological function
  • your age
  • your overall health
  • your lifestyle and what you prefer or want
  • any previous treatment you have had for a brain or spinal cord tumour

Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are the main treatments for brain and spinal cord tumours. Other treatments are sometimes used.

Expert review and references

  • American Cancer Society. Treating Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors in Adults. 2020. https://www.cancer.org/.
  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Central Nervous System Cancers Version 1.2023. 2023.
  • PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment (PDQ®) – Health Professional Version. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2023. https://www.cancer.gov/.
  • Youngblood MW, Magill ST, Stupp R, Tsien C. Neoplasms of the central nervous system. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg S. eds. DeVita Hellman and Rosenberg's Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2023: Kindle version, [chapter 64], https://read.amazon.ca/?asin=B0BG3DPT4Q&language=en-CA.

Treatment by type of brain and spinal cord tumour

There are many types of brain and spinal cord tumours. Each type may be treated differently.

Surgery for brain and spinal cord tumours

Surgery is a medical procedure to examine, remove or repair tissue. Brain and spinal cord tumours are usually treated with surgery.

Radiation therapy for brain and spinal cord tumours

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells. Brain and spinal cord tumours are usually treated with radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy for brain and spinal cord tumours

Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Brain tumours and some types of spinal cord tumours are often treated with chemotherapy.

Alternating electric fields therapy

Alternating electric fields therapy uses electrical currents to treat cancer cells. It may be offered for glioblastoma.

Immunotherapy for brain and spinal cord tumours

Brain and spinal cord tumours are sometimes treated with immunotherapy. It helps strengthen the immune system to fight cancer.

Targeted therapy for brain and spinal cord tumours

Targeted therapy uses drugs to target specific molecules on cancer cells or inside them. Brain and spinal cord tumours are sometimes treated with targeted therapy.

Active surveillance for brain and spinal cord tumours

Active surveillance may be offered for some types of low-grade brain or spinal cord tumours. The healthcare team watches the cancer closely to see if it is growing before offering other treatments.

Corticosteroids and antiseizure medicines (anticonvulsants)

Corticosteroids and antiseizure medicines (anticonvulsants) are used to treat brain swelling or seizures caused by brain or spinal cord tumours.

Follow-up after treatment for brain and spinal cord tumours

Follow-up is an important part of care for brain and spinal cord tumours. It often involves regular tests and visits with the healthcare team.

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