Treatments
Brain cancer treatment is complex and highly individual, often combining surgery, radiation, and drug therapies. Understanding your options can help you make informed decisions and prepare for what’s ahead.
Overview
The main treatments for brain tumours are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These may be used alone or in combination. Medicines, such as steroids or anti-seizure medicines may also be used to reduce brain tumour symptoms.
Treatment is based on many factors, including:
- Patient age, overall health and medical history
- Type, location and size of the tumour or tumours
- Likelihood of the tumor spreading or recurring
- Speed of tumour growth
- Patient tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
Sometimes tumours that are not growing or spreading will be monitored closely, and not given any treatment until the patient develops symptoms, or their symptoms change.
Choosing the Right Treatment for You
Decisions about the best course of treatment are made by the patient and their medical team. Patients have the right to accept or refuse any treatment offered. They may also want to get a second opinion from another specialist to confirm or clarify their doctor’s recommendations, or as reassurance they’ve explored all options.
Cellular makeup, speed of growth, location of the tumor, and even the age of the patient can all impact tumour behavior, resulting in a variety of symptoms and different experiences among patients. For this reason you shouldn’t assume that another person’s outcome from treatment will be the same as yours.
Types of Treatment for Brain Cancer
Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses one or more aniti-cancer medicines to kill cancer cells or slow cancer growth. It may be used to shrink a tumour before surgery (neo-adjuvant therapy), to destroy remaining cancer cells aftersurgery or radiation (adjuvant therapy), to improve symptoms or to prolong quality of life.
Radiotherapy employs high-energy X-rays to effectively target and kill cancer cells. This treatment operates by damaging the DNA of rapidly dividing cells, which is a hallmark of cancer. While normal brain cells can also be impacted by this therapy, they possess a significantly greater ability to repair the radiation damage.
Surgery is typically the primary treatment option for a brain tumour. The main goal of this surgical procedure is to exciseas much of the tumour as possible, all while minimising any potential harm to the surrounding healthy brain tissue. This careful approach is crucial for ensuring the best possible outcomes for the patient.
Immunotherapy for brain cancer uses the body’s immune system to target tumours. Still largely experimental, treatments like CAR T-cell therapy, checkpoint inhibitors, and cancer vaccines are mainly available through clinical trials, often alongside surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy.
Standard of care for brain cancer is the best evidence-based treatment widely accepted by medical experts.
Guided by clinical research and international guidelines like the NCCN, it ensures patients receive recommended diagnostic, therapeutic, and supportive care to maximise outcomes, providing a reliable benchmark for safe, effective treatment options.
Brain cancer treatments can cause side effects that affect both tumour and healthy cells, impacting physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being.
Experiences vary by patient, treatment type, and tumour location. Understanding potential side effects and accessing the right support can help manage them and improve quality of life during and after treatment.
