Is brain cancer treatable? The simple answer is, yes, every form of brain cancer, regardless of how aggressive it is, is treatable. However, it is important to distinguish at the outset that treatable and curable are not the same things. Not every form of brain cancer can be completely eliminated, and your treatment options, time and success depend on a number of factors that will be discussed here.
That said, treatment is available for any type of brain cancer, which may not provide a cure but will at least be able to reduce the tumor size, potentially improving symptoms and outcome. Your doctors will work together to develop a treatment plan based on your unique condition and needs, including your diagnosis, the size and location of your tumor and your personal preferences.
Factors That Affect Treatment
The first factor affecting your brain cancer treatment is your diagnosis and whether your tumor is considered primary or secondary. The difference is the origin of the cancer cells. If the cancer grows from cells within the brain, it is called a primary tumor. However, some types of cancers can spread from other sites in the body, such as the lungs, and reach the brain, as well as other areas. These cancers are referred to as secondary, or metastatic, tumors.
Primary Tumors
Primary tumors can vary greatly in terms of aggressiveness. Though your doctor will take that into account, the steps in your treatment protocol for primary brain tumors will generally follow a similar path.
Your surgeon will do a biopsy and obtain tissue for genetic analysis. This will help predict your tumor’s responsiveness to treatment and may allow you to qualify for various treatment trials. If your doctor has not discussed the possibility of treatment trials with you and that sounds like something you would be interested in, be sure to bring it up at your next appointment.
When it comes to biopsy, either a small biopsy is done and the patient goes into treatment based on the test results, or the biopsy is done during a planned resection where a small sample is sent to pathology for an immediate diagnosis. If the pathology suggests that the resection is beneficial (most tumors including GBM, most metastatic and other rare primary tumors), then the procedure will be performed. If the resection is not beneficial (lymphoma, small-cell lung cancer and similar types of cancer), the resection will not be performed.
During the resection, the surgeon will aim to remove the tumor, but it’s important to understand that it is impossible to remove 100 percent of any brain tumor with the technology available today. This is why you will need to undergo a secondary treatment following brain tumor surgery to eradicate the remaining cancer cells.
After surgery, you will typically undergo a therapy known as fractionated radiation. This usually entails receiving radiation therapy five times a week for a total of six weeks. This purpose of the radiation is to damage the cancer cells and keep them from dividing and growing further. If the cancer is eradicated completely, you will likely be put on a monitoring schedule to check for recurrence of cancer.
Secondary Tumors
The treatment options for secondary tumors are more variable, and the treatment path your doctor recommends will depend on more factors than a primary tumor. However, the prognosis for controlling secondary tumors in the brain is quite good as treatment methods have proven to be very effective.
The first factor your doctor will take into consideration is the location of your tumor. If it is in an area that is easily and safely accessible, your doctor will likely recommend surgical resection first, followed by radiation. However, if the location makes surgery too risky, then your doctor will recommend radiation as the first-line treatment.
The second factor that will influence your treatment plan is the size of your tumor. For small, non-aggressive tumors, a specialized radiation therapy known as Gamma Knife is usually very effective. However, for larger lesions, surgery is often required first in order to remove as much of the tumor as possible, then followed by Gamma Knife radiation therapy. However, as discussed earlier, if the surgeon feels that surgery is too risky, then he or she will not perform the procedure.
Finally, your doctor will take into consideration the aggressiveness of the tumor. Aggressiveness refers to how quickly the tumor is growing and whether or not it is affecting the surrounding tissues. If your tumor is highly aggressive and safe to access, then it will be removed surgically, again followed by radiation therapy. This is because surgery is a quicker solution than radiation therapy alone, and time can be an important factor with aggressive tumors.
Moving Forward Together
Whether you have been diagnosed with primary or secondary brain cancer, or perhaps your diagnosis is still undetermined, it is natural to wonder, “Is brain cancer treatable?” Now that you understand a little more about different brain tumors and the approaches taken by doctors in developing treatment plans, you can likely appreciate that there are treatment options for all forms of brain cancer.
At this point, one of the most important things you can do is continue to learn so you can have confidence in your treatment and maintain a positive outlook. Stress impedes the body’s ability to heal, so if you have any questions or concerns throughout this process, be sure to bring them up with your doctor. You are not in this alone, and he or she will help you find answers and feel comfortable with your treatment path.
