Treatment

TREATMENT OPTIONS BY TYPE

Brain Stem Gliomas

• Hyperfractionated radiation therapy (a way of giving radiation therapy in smaller-than-usual doses two or three times a day instead of once a day).
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and/or biologic therapy.

Pineal Astrocytic Tumors

• Surgery and radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and biologic therapy following radiation therapy.

Pilocytic Astrocytomas

Treatment of pilocytic astrocytoma is usually surgery with or without radiation therapy.

Diffuse Astrocytomas

• Surgery, usually with radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of surgery and radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy for tumors that cannot be completely removed by surgery.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy delayed until the tumor progresses.
• A clinical trial comparing high-dose and low-dose radiation therapy.

Anaplastic Astrocytomas

• Surgery plus radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and biologic therapy following radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy combined with different methods of delivering radiation therapy.

Glioblastoma

• Surgery plus radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy placed into the brain during surgery.
• A clinical trial of radiation and concurrent chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and biologic therapy following radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy and new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
• Clinical trials of new treatments.

Oligodendroglial Tumors

Treatment of oligodendroglioma may include the following:

• Surgery, usually with radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of surgery and radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy for tumors that cannot be completely removed by surgery.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy using one or more drugs.

Treatment of anaplastic oligodendroglioma may include the following:

• Surgery plus radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy using more than one drug.
• Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy using more than one drug.
• Clinical trials of new treatments.

Mixed Gliomas

• Surgery plus radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs or biologic therapy following radiation therapy.

Ependymal Tumors

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

Treatment of anaplastic ependymoma may include the following:

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

Medulloblastoma

• Surgery plus radiation therapy to the brain and spine.
• A clinical trial of surgery and radiation therapy to the brain and spine for tumors that are more difficult to treat successfully.

Pineal Parenchymal Tumors

• Surgery plus radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and biologic therapy following radiation therapy.

Meningeal Tumors

Treatment of meningiomas may include the following:

• Surgery with or without radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy for tumors that cannot be removed by surgery.

Treatment of malignant meningioma may include the following:

• Surgery plus radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and/or biologic therapy following radiation therapy.

Germ Cell Tumors

Treatment of central nervous system germ cell tumors depends on the type of cancer cells, the location of the tumor, whether the cancer can be removed in an operation, and other factors.

Craniopharyngioma

• Surgery to remove the entire tumor.
• Surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, followed by radiation therapy.

Recurrent Adult Brain Tumor

• Surgery with or without chemotherapy.
• Radiation therapy, if not used during previous treatment, with or without chemotherapy.
• Internal radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy placed into the brain during surgery.
• A clinical trial of biologic therapy.

Metastatic Brain Tumors

Treatment of a single metastatic brain tumor is usually surgery followed by radiation therapy to the brain.

Treatment of more than one metastatic brain tumor may include the following:

• Radiation therapy to the brain.
• Surgery, for large tumors that are pressing on areas of the brain and causing symptoms.

Glossary

Hyperthermia therapy: A type of treatment in which body tissue is exposed to high temperatures to damage and kill cancer cells or to make cancer cells more sensitive to the effects of radiation and certain anticancer drugs.

Reference:

National Cancer Institute, USA.