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Central nervous system tumors are rare and represent less than 2 percent of all new cancers. Although the cause of primary brain tumors is unknown, genetic and environmental factors may contribute to their development. Often, tumors found in the brain actually developed elsewhere in the body and spread to the brain. These are known as metastatic brain tumors.
Brain tumors may produce strong signs and symptoms, including persistent headaches, nausea and vomiting, hemiparesis, aphasia, visual deficits and seizures. Diagnosis is confirmed by MRI or CT scan and biopsy. During a biopsy, brain tumors are graded by severity to assess treatment. The grade of a tumor refers to how abnormal the cancer cells appear and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread.
Potential treatments include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Radiotherapy is recommended for high-grade or inoperable tumors. There are two types of radiation therapy, external and internal. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. We believe that radiation treatment is best delivered with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which reduces the dose level near critical areas, such as the eyes, optic chiasm and brain stem.