Brain tumors: Doctor talks about latest treatments
Northwest Community Healthcare has some of the most advanced technology for removing brain tumors safely and precisely, so we asked Dr. Shaun O'Leary, NCH's medical director of neuroscience services and assistant professor of neurosurgery at Rush University Medical Center, about cancerous brain tumors and what can be done to help patients who are diagnosed with them.
Here's what he had to say about metastatic tumors — cancer that starts in another part of the body and spreads to the brain. Cancer types that may spread to the brain include breast, lung, kidney and bladder cancer, as well as melanoma and leukemia.
Q: What is a brain tumor and how does one develop?
A: A brain tumor is an abnormal collection of cells from the brain itself or a different part of the body. They can form spontaneously or be caused by environmental or other factors. For example, smoking can cause lung tumors and those tumors can go to the brain, too.
Q: What is a metastatic tumor?
A: Brain tumors that come from other parts of the body are metastatic. Brain tumors may also come from some of the normal cells of the brain itself.
Q: Do they affect women and men differently?
A: Most of the tumors are equally represented in men and woman except for those tumors which come from areas specific to men or women. An example would be a prostate tumor in a man and a uterine tumor in a woman.
Q: Does age or race have to do with your chances of getting a brain tumor?
A: Race has little to do with brain tumors except for some very rare types of tumor. Age can make a difference in some tumor types. In children, there are specific types of brain tumors and as we age, we are prone to a higher rate of metastatic tumors.
Q: What are the surgeries/procedures performed at NCH for brain tumors?
A: We treat brain tumors with open surgeries called craniotomies. We also can treat brain tumors with focused radiation called stereotactic radiosurgery.
Q: What are the latest technologies and treatments used?
A: We try to be as minimally invasive as possible with our surgery. We use planning and guidance software to approach the tumor safely. We also use microscopes and 3D exoscopes to look at the tumors. We also can use a very narrow tube to remove a brain tumor without disrupting the normal brain cells. Sometimes, we use radiation or chemotherapy.
Q: What is the survival rate for patients after having a brain tumor removed?
A: The survival rate depends on the type of tumor. Some people can live a long time after brain tumor surgery.
Q: What are symptoms of a brain tumor?
A: Symptoms of a brain tumor include headache, change in vision, problems walking and weakness of the arms or legs.
Q: What tests are done to identify a brain tumor?
A: The usual tests to see a brain tumor include MRI or CT scans. Both of these tests are ordered by a doctor to get a better description or picture of the tumor.
• To learn more about the NCH Neuroscience Center and how experts diagnose and treat various neurological conditions, visit www.nch.org/3Dbrain. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (847) 259-6200.