Brain Cancer - Diagnosis & Treatment Overiew
Brain tumors are usually diagnosed after a CT or MRI scan has disclosed an abnormality. Subsequently, a biopsy is taken, and in most cases the tumor is removed as completely as possible. It is after the biopsy or surgery that the decision of whether or not to treat with radiation therapy is made.
Radiation therapy is an effective treatment for most primary brain tumors. In some cases, the disease can be cured completely with radiation therapy; in others, radiation can be used to relieve symptoms of the disease and improve disease control and quality of life. The specific treatment approach is discussed at the time of consultation.
Fortunately, many of the new treatment methods, which allow radiation oncologists to better avoid normal tissues, are applicable to treating brain cancer. More focused approaches result in significantly less adverse reactions, both in the short term but more importantly, in the long term.
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These images show a CT scan and an MRI scan of a patient with a brain tumor. Note how the lesion is hard to see on the CT scan. When necessary, we can perform an MRI scan and "fuse" it to the planning CT. This allows your physician to "draw" the tumor on the MRI scan and have the volume automatically show on the planning CT. |
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