Treatment Options by Type of Adult Brain Tumor
Brain Stem Gliomas
Pineal Astrocytic Tumors
Pilocytic Astrocytomas
Diffuse Astrocytomas
Anaplastic Astrocytomas
Glioblastoma
Oligodendroglial Tumors
Mixed Gliomas
Ependymal Tumors
Medulloblastoma
Pineal Parenchymal Tumors
Meningeal Tumors
Germ Cell Tumors
Craniopharyngioma
Recurrent Adult Brain Tumor
Metastatic Brain Tumors
Brain Stem Gliomas
Treatment of brain stem gliomas may include the following:
- Hyperfractionated radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and/or biologic
therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult brain stem glioma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Pineal Astrocytic Tumors
Treatment of pineal astrocytic tumors may include the
following:
- Surgery and radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy.
- A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and biologic
therapy following radiation therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult pineal gland astrocytoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Pilocytic Astrocytomas
Treatment of pilocytic astrocytoma is usually surgery with or without radiation therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult pilocytic astrocytoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Diffuse Astrocytomas
Treatment of diffuse astrocytoma may include the following:
- Surgery, usually with radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of surgery and radiation therapy with or
without chemotherapy for tumors that cannot be completely removed by surgery.
- A clinical trial of radiation therapy delayed until the tumor progresses.
- A clinical trial comparing high- dose and low-dose radiation
therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult diffuse astrocytoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Anaplastic Astrocytomas
Treatment of anaplastic astrocytoma may include the
following:
- Surgery plus radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy.
- A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and biologic
therapy following radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy combined with different methods of delivering radiation therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult anaplastic astrocytoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Glioblastoma
Treatment of glioblastoma may include the
following:
- Surgery plus radiation therapy.
- Surgery plus radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
- Chemotherapy placed into the brain (Gliadel Wafer) during surgery.
- Radiation therapy given together with chemotherapy.
- A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs or biologic
therapy following radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy and new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
- Clinical trials of new treatments.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult glioblastoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Oligodendroglial Tumors
Treatment of oligodendrogliomas may
include the following:
- Surgery, usually with radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of surgery and radiation therapy with or
without chemotherapy for tumors that cannot be completely removed by surgery.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy using one or more drugs.
Treatment of anaplastic oligodendroglioma may include the
following:
- Surgery plus radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
- Chemotherapy using more than one drug.
- Radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy using more than one drug.
- Clinical trials of new treatments.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult oligodendroglial tumors. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Mixed Gliomas
Treatment of mixed gliomas may include the following:
- Surgery plus radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
- A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs or biologic
therapy following radiation therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult mixed glioma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Ependymal Tumors
Treatment of grade I and grade II ependymomas is usually surgery with or without radiation therapy.
Treatment of anaplastic ependymoma may include the
following:
- Surgery plus radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy before, during, and after
radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy and/or biologic therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult ependymal tumors. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Medulloblastoma
Treatment of medulloblastomas may include the
following:
- Surgery plus radiation therapy to the brain and spine.
- A clinical trial of surgery and radiation therapy to the
brain and spine for tumors that are more difficult to treat successfully.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy.
(Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors for more information.)
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult medulloblastoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Pineal Parenchymal Tumors
Treatment of pineal parenchymal tumors may include the
following:
- Surgery plus radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
- A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and biologic
therapy following radiation therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult pineal parenchymal tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Meningeal Tumors
Treatment of meningiomas may include the following:
- Surgery with or without radiation therapy.
- Radiation therapy for tumors that cannot be
removed by surgery.
Treatment of malignant meningioma may include the
following:
- Surgery plus radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of external radiation therapy plus hyperthermia therapy or new methods of delivering radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs and/or biologic
therapy following radiation therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult meningeal tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Germ Cell Tumors
Treatment of central nervous system germ cell tumors depends
on the type of cancer cells, the location of the tumor, whether the cancer can
be removed in an operation, and other factors.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult central nervous system germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Craniopharyngioma
Treatment of craniopharyngiomas may include the following:
- Surgery to remove the entire tumor.
- Surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, followed by radiation therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult craniopharyngioma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Recurrent Adult Brain Tumor
Treatment of recurrent adult brain tumors may include the
following:
- Surgery with or without chemotherapy.
- Radiation therapy, if not used during previous treatment, with
or without chemotherapy.
- Internal radiation therapy.
- Chemotherapy.
- A clinical trial of new anticancer drugs.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy placed into the brain during surgery.
- A clinical trial of biologic therapy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent adult brain tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Metastatic Brain Tumors
Treatment of a single metastatic brain tumor is usually surgery followed by radiation therapy to the brain.
Treatment of more than one metastatic brain tumor may include the following:
- Radiation therapy to the brain.
- Surgery, for large tumors that are pressing on areas of the brain and causing symptoms.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult tumors metastatic to brain. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
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