Types of Brain Cancer We Treat
Brain cancers are not common, but our team of specialists, including neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuro-oncologists, are skilled in treating many forms of these cancers including:
- Brain neoplasm
- Choroid plexus carcinoma
- Ependymoma
- Glioma, including glioblastoma and astrocytoma
- Medulloblastoma
- Meningioma
- Retinoblastoma
Not every brain tumor is cancer (malignant), and we are also skilled in treating noncancerous (benign) tumors of the brain to relieve your symptoms and ease pain.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
Brain cancer symptoms can vary depending on the location of the tumor, but can cause:
- Changes in your ability to talk, hear or see
- Depression
- Difficulty balancing or walking
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Muscle jerking or twitching
- Nausea and vomiting
- Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
- Personality changes
- Thinking or memory problems
No one knows their body like you. If you think you are experiencing symptoms of brain cancer, reach out to your primary care doctor so we can understand what is causing them.
Our care team conducts a thorough health history and physical exam to understand your condition, as well as a neurologic exam to check your coordination, reflexes, mental status, mobility and more. We perform imaging and other tests to find more information about your tumor, including identifying the specific kind of cancer cell in the tumor to help us choose the most effective treatment for you. These tests may include:
- Biopsies, or tissue samples from the tumor
- Imaging tests such as MRIs, CT scans and X-rays
- Spinal taps, which take spinal fluid from your lumbar spine to check for cancer cells
If these exams are abnormal, we refer you for a cancer consultation with an oncologist who specializes un treating brain cancer. Your care team may include other specialists like neurologists and neurosurgeons, who are also skilled in treating these conditions. These experts review your test results and medical history to learn more about your cancer and form a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
We know hearing you have brain cancer can feel scary. That’s why we are committed to seeing you for a cancer consultation as quickly as possible — often within 48 hours — after your diagnosis so we can discuss treatment options, order additional tests and address any questions without delay.
Treatments
No two brain cancers are alike. We create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific kind of brain cancer. Each week, the Cancer Care team convenes a tumor board that brings together experts from across disciplines to collaborate on customized care plans for you. This collaboration has one common goal — to make sure you get the best possible care. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists and pathologists who collaborate with surgical, medical and radiation oncologists. Our team has decades of experience treating these cancers and is here for you through every step of your treatment.
Surgery
Radiation
Your cancer care team may recommend radiation treatment to eliminate any remaining brain cancer that wasn’t removed during surgery. Radiation oncologists at our Radiation Treatment Center have treated thousands of patients, and we have a full set of state-of-the-art radiation treatments that brings precision, speed and the ability to save your healthy tissue.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can be a powerful treatment for different kinds of brain cancer. Because there so many types of brain cancer, your care team tests your tumor to understand the best anticancer drug to use, an approach known as targeted therapy. Our medical oncologists also help find the right combination of anti-nausea medicine, pain medication and intravenous hydration to keep you feeling as comfortable as possible during treatment.
Clinical Trials
Current clinical trials can improve detection, ease treatment and find better cures for your brain cancer. We are always looking for ways to bring these approaches to you. We collaborate with other medical centers and the National Cancer Institute on clinical trials like new kinds of immunotherapy, radiation therapy and innovative chemotherapy approaches.
If you are interested in a clinical trial, speak with your care team to see if there is a study that is right for you.
Cancer Awards & Accreditations
Our superior Cancer Care has earned us a three-year accreditation as a comprehensive community cancer program from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Accreditation ensures that the care you receive right here in your community is high-quality and uses evidence-based, national treatment guidelines.
We’re also an ACS Surgical Quality Partner and committed to the highest surgery standards.
Patients rate us highly, too. Based on PressGaney patient satisfaction surveys, our “likeliness to recommend” score is over 90%, and we’ve won the top patient experience award multiple years in a row.
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Cancer Patient Stories
You are our inspiration. Hear how El Camino Health Cancer Care has helped other patients beat their brain cancer — and how we can support you every step of the way.
