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Treatments
Primary Brain Cancer Treatments
Once we have confirmed your diagnosis of a primary brain cancer, our multidisciplinary care team works together to decide on the best treatment options for you. Your team may recommend one or more types of treatment depending on:
- The type and size of your tumor
- Whether the tumor is cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign)
- Your overall health
- Your treatment goals, such as symptom relief or functional improvement
At the Stanford Brain Tumor Center, we use a variety of treatment methods, either alone or in combination, including:
Primary Brain Cancer Surgery
One of our experienced neurosurgeons will evaluate you to decide if your tumor can be safely removed with surgery. We can completely remove some tumors, while others that are deep or grow into brain tissue can be partially removed. For many low-grade tumors, we begin treatment with surgery followed by observation.
Surgery can help relieve your symptoms and reduce pressure in the brain, even if the tumor cannot be completely removed. In these cases, we may recommend additional treatment with chemotherapy or radiation. Learn more about surgery for brain tumors.
Radiation Therapy for Primary Brain Cancer
Our neuroradiologists and radiation oncologists have advanced training and experience in using the latest radiation techniques. We usually treat more complex tumors with radiation therapy, especially if some tumor tissue remains in your brain after surgery. Depending on your specific tumor, we may recommend combining or following your radiation therapy with chemotherapy for the best possible outcome.
CyberKnife is a specialized radiation machine that delivers radiation to tumors with pinpoint accuracy, minimizing damage to nearby, healthy tissue. The noninvasive technology requires no incisions and uses a soft mesh mask instead of an invasive head frame to stabilize the head and neck. Learn more about radiation for brain tumors.
Chemotherapy Treatment for Primary Brain Cancer
Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, meaning that it travels to all parts of the body through the bloodstream. It can be administered either orally by pill or intravenously (into a blood vein) through infusion.
You can receive chemotherapy infusions at our infusion centers in the Brain Tumor Center and at our Redwood City and South Bay locations. Learn more about our infusion centers.
At Stanford, our medical neuro-oncologists can help you access the latest chemotherapy drugs in clinical trials. Read more about chemotherapy for brain tumors.
Primary Brain Cancer: Cancer Biologics and Immunotherapy
Some of the most advanced cancer treatments use biological substances such as antibodies, cells or parts of cells to fight specific types of cancer. Some types can stimulate the immune system to target cancer cells, and others attack specific cancer cells or molecules within them.
At Stanford, our cancer specialists can treat your primary brain cancer with biologics and immunotherapy treatments that are either already approved or under research in clinical trials. Find out more about cancer biologics and immunotherapy for brain tumors.
Clinical Trials for Primary Brain Cancer
At Stanford, research through clinical trials is a key focus for our specialists in an academic medical center. As a patient here, you may be able to join clinical trials that are studying the latest, most advanced therapies for treating primary brain cancer. For more details, review our open clinical trials.
Primary Brain Cancer: Observation and Monitoring
In some cases, observation may be the best initial treatment for certain types of primary brain cancer such as meningioma. In observation, also known as active surveillance, your neuro-oncologist closely monitors your condition through neurological exams and imaging tests every three to six months.
If your symptoms worsen or the tumor grows, you may need further treatment. Your doctor will discuss treatment options that may be right for you, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or cancer biologics.
Medications to Control Symptoms
To provide you with the best possible quality of life, we can prescribe medicines to help relieve your symptoms. Depending on the symptoms you have, your doctor may recommend one or more of these medications:
- Anticonvulsants to reduce or prevent seizures
- Corticosteroids and osmotic diuretics to reduce brain swelling
- Pain medicines