A brain cancer diagnosis brings with it a host of changes, both physical and mental. Treatment will vary depending on the patient's specific circumstances, but there are some constants in the process of helping a brain cancer patient.
Medical Treatment
The first step in dealing with brain cancer is consultation with various doctors and surgeons. These specialists include cancer specialists (or oncologists), neurosurgeons (doctors who specialize in the brain and nervous system) and radiation oncologists (who treat the cancer with radiation therapy). Other primary health-care providers that may be involved in care include a dietician (to provide a meal plan that helps with condition), a social worker (to help with the life changes inherent in a cancer diagnosis) and sometimes a physical therapist. Based on the stage of cancer, the size and location of the tumor, the patient's age, and any other medical issues, the course of treatment is decided upon by these consulting physicians. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are the usual treatments for brain cancer. In the pre-surgery stage also recommend a steroid dexamethasone for relief from swelling, or an anticonvulsant drug like carbamazepine for relief from seizures.
Surgery
If the brain tumor can be removed without harming the tissues around it, doctors will recommend surgery. Traditional brain surgery involves opening the skuIl and physically removing cancerous tissue. Modern techniques like stereotactic radiosurgery use CT or MRI scans to map the brain and locate hte tumor very precisely; targeted radiation is then used to destroy it. As the skull is not being opened there are generally fewer complications faster recovery.
Radiation Therapy
In patients whose tumor cannot be operated on, doctors might recommend radiation therapy, during which the tumor is exposed to radiation that can destroy cancer cells, or at least prevent further growth. In external radiation therapy, radiation is administered externally for few minutes at a time, for three to five days a week, for a month or two. In implant radiation therapy, a radioactive capsule is inserted into the tumor, allowing radiation to gradually dissipate and kill the tumor without leaving any unhealthy residue in the area.
Chemotherapy
This procedure employs cyclic administration of a strong drug or drug cocktail to kill cancer cells. Administered orally or intravenously, or through a fluid draining brain shunt, such drugs cannot be given continuously for many months. Chemotherapy is administered once a week for a few weeks; this is called a cycle. You have to rest in between the cycles for a few weeks, during which time monitor the cancer's progress and decide on next steps. Nausea, loss of appetite and hair, and many other side effects make this form of therapy difficult for most patients.
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