Nuclear Oncology

Various treatments are used to treat brain tumors. The type of treatment recommended depends on the size and type of tumor, growth rate and the overall health of the patient. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, targeted biological agents or a combination thereof. Surgical resection (if not dangerous) is usually the first treatment recommendation to reduce the pressure quickly sobe brain. This website focuses on radiation therapy for brain tumors.

In the last two decades, researchers have developed new techniques for delivering radiation to the brain tumor while protecting nearby healthy tissues. These treatments include brachytherapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and radiosurgery.

Radiation therapy may be recommended for tumors sensitive to this treatment. Conventional radiation therapy uses external beams of x-rays, gamma rays or protons to the tumor to kill cancer cells and shrink brain tumors. It is usually given over a period of several weeks. The whole brain radiation therapy is an option for multiple tumors.

Follow-up treatment

Regular monitoring is extremely important after treatment for a brain tumor. In addition to regular physical and neurological examinations, may have to be periodic reviews of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), NMR spectroscopy, perfusion MRI with or dissemination techniques, computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography (PET) , blood tests or an endoscopy procedure. Your doctor may recommend home care, occupational or vocational therapy, pain management, physical therapy and participation in support groups.

Follow-up care helps the physician to:

* Signs of tumor recurrence
* Monitor the health of the brain
* Identify and treat side effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy
* The presence of other cancers early.

New treatment

In the last decade, improvements in treatment and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy are bringing new hope to patients with brain tumors, both in terms of survival and quality of life. There are several experimental drugs and therapies are also showing promise in clinical trials, such as:

* Gene therapy involves the transfer of genetic material into the tumor cell, in order to destroy or prevent their growth.
* Angiogenesis inhibitors are drugs that interfere with the growth of blood vessels in a tumor, which would prevent it from receiving nutrients and oxygen it needs to grow. Treatment with these drugs is also called angiostatic therapy.
* New types of biological agents and improved drug delivery methods are evaluated in clinical studies.