Brain Tumor Types With Their Treatments

Astrocytomas represent the most common type of glioma. They develop from the supporting cells of the brain, which are star-shaped glial cells called astrocytes. In children, most astrocytomas are considered low-grade, while in adults most are high-grade. They occur in most parts of the brain, including the brain stem.

Treatment

Radiation therapy is required to treat gliomas. Radiation therapy may also be beneficial in the short-term for tumors that have spread from other parts of the body. Chemotherapy also benefits some patients with such brain tumors.
Chemotherapy is only marginally effective in the treatment of Anaplastic astrocytoma and Glioblastoma multiforme. Typical chemotherapy agents include carmustine (BCNU) and lomustine (CCNU).

Craniopharyngiomas are tumors near the brain’s pituitary gland and most commonly affect infants and children. Because the pituitary gland releases chemicals essential for growth and metabolism, a craniopharyngioma may result in a child’s stunted growth. The patient’s vision may also be affected. These tumors develop from cells left over from early fetal development.

Treatment

Surgery: Because of their location close to vital parts of the brain, surgical removal is often difficult. However, surgery is the usual treatment for these tumors. Radiation therapy may also be used.

Ependymal tumors begin in the ependyma, cells that line the passageways in the brain where cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is produced and stored. Ependymomas are classified as either supratentorial (in the cerebral hemispheres) or infratentorial (in the back of the brain). Variations of this tumor type include subependymoma, subependymal giant-cell astrocytoma, and malignant ependymoma. Ependymoblastoma, which occurs in infants and children under three years, is no longer considered a subtype of ependymoma.

Treatment

Treatment of grade I and grade II ependymomas is usually surgery with or without radiation therapy.

Treatment of anaplastic ependymoma may include the following:

1. Surgery plus radiation therapy.
2. A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy before, during, and after radiation therapy.
3. A clinical trial of chemotherapy and/or biologic therapy.

Metastatic Brain Tumor. A metastatic, or secondary, brain tumor is one that begins as cancer in another part of the body. Some of the cancer cells may be carried to the brain by the blood or lymphatic fluid, or may spread from adjacent tissue. The site where the cancerous cells originated is referred to as the primary cancer. Metastatic brain tumors are often referred to as lesions or brain metastases. Metastatic brain tumors are the most common brain tumors. There has been an increase in metastatic lesions as people are surviving primary cancers for longer periods of time.

Treatment

Surgery

Brain tumors are often difficult to diagnose and surgical removal demands great skill. Mayo's team of specialists in secondary brain tumors offer the most up-to-date treatment opportunities, utilizing the latest technological advances.
Surgery, the mainstay of brain tumor treatment, involves removing as much of the tumor as possible while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.