Brain Cancer Treatment

Because no two brain tumors are alike, our sophisticated team of experts designs a customized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Treatments vary based on many factors, including:

• The type of tumor
• The tumor’s location
• Whether the tumor first developed in the brain or spine (a primary tumor) or is the result of spreading (metastasis) from another location in the body.
• The patient’s overall health and any other medical conditions

Surgery

Holy Cross Health Cancer Center draws on its team’s expertise with the latest minimally invasive and microsurgical techniques to fight brain cancer. The team uses advanced surgical and nonsurgical methods to remove brain and central nervous system cancers, including the Stealth Neuro-Navigation System, a 3-D MRI scanned image used during surgery to plot a course for tumor removal.

Minimally invasive surgical procedures to treat brain cancer include:

• Transnasal Procedures – the surgeon enters the brain through the nose
• Embolism of Tumors – material to block the development of tumor blood vessels is delivered through a catheter
• Microsurgical Techniques – advanced surgical microscopes help neurosurgeons perform targeted procedures with fewer complications, including serious nerve damage.

Radiation Therapy

The Holy Cross Health Cancer Center is accredited by the American College of Radiology and offers advanced equipment for specialized radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tumors. Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by aiming precise beams of energy at the tumor, delivering increasingly effective doses of radiation to precisely mapped areas to treat cancer, including Brain Cancer.

• External Beam Therapy – delivers a beam of high-energy X-rays to the location of the patient's tumor
• Stereotactic Surgery (also called shaped beam surgery) – uses three-dimensional imaging tools to locate structures, such as brain tumors, and deliver targeted high-dose radiation to the exact shape of the tumor, sparing healthy nearby tissue.

Medication

• Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy, often called “chemo,” uses powerful anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells. It can be used as a standalone treatment, or it can be combined with other treatment types, such as radiation therapy or surgery.

 Neuro Critical Care Monitoring Unit

For many brain cancer patients, recovery from treatment begins in the hospital’s unique Neuro Critical Care Unit (NCCU), where a team of neuro critical care experts helps you move to the next stage of recovery as quickly and successfully as possible.

Call 1-855-HCH-HOPE (424-4673) to learn more about our cancer care services.