Medically Reviewed by William Naso, MD
Brain tumors are perhaps the highest volumes of cancer treated anywhere when you combine primary brain tumors with metastatic brain tumors – even more common than lung cancer or breast cancer. Brain tumors come in two major types, but treatments come in many forms, according to McLeod Neurosurgeon Dr. William Naso.
“There are two major types of brain tumors: primary brain tumors and metastatic brain tumors.
Primary brain tumors come from the brain itself. There are ones that are benign, meaning non-cancerous. We take them out and you’re cured. If they are malignant, a person could die if not quickly treated.
The other types of brain tumors are metastatic. These are tumors that have spread from a different part of the body, such as the lung or the breast. Metastatic brain tumors are five times more common than primary brain tumors (those that originate in the brain). Metastatic brain tumors can grow rapidly, crowding or destroying nearby brain tissue. Sometimes a patient may have multiple metastatic tumors in different areas of the brain. These tumors can be quite deadly, but they can also be treated.
The diagnosis of a brain tumor is perhaps one of the most unsettling diagnoses a patient can receive. The brain is really who we are and what we are. It is the way we are able to express ourselves. And when a patient receives that diagnosis, it can be very difficult to hear. It’s one of the most difficult conversations we have with a patient.
However, diagnosis of a brain tumor is not necessarily a death sentence. We have multiple modalities to effectively treat patients with brain tumors. There’s surgical removal or stereotactic radiosurgery. Our medical colleagues have made amazing advances in chemotherapy. In reality, there are some tumors that will ultimately take our patient’s lives, but we have made so many advances over the last 25 years. It’s a very exciting time to be involved with the treatment of patients with brain tumors.”
Have a question about brain tumors? Ask a cancer specialist near you.