To learn more about radiation therapy for brain cancer, call 1-888-663-3488 or schedule an appointment online by completing a new patient registration form. You do not need a referral to consult with the oncologists specializing in brain cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center.
Full Answer
How is radiation used to treat brain tumors?
First, a head frame is usually attached to the skull to help aim the radiation beams. (Sometimes a face mask is used to hold the head in place instead.) Once the exact location of the tumor is found on CT or MRI scans, radiation is focused at the tumor from many different angles.
Will I receive partial or whole brain radiation?
Your doctor will decide whether you will receive partial or whole brain radiation. You will have either external beam radiation therapy or stereotactic radiosurgery depending on your treatment plan. During external beam radiation, a treatment machine will aim beams of radiation directly to the tumor.
Can you see or feel the radiation from a brain tumor?
You won’t see or feel the radiation. Stereotactic radiosurgery can be used in some tumors and is even more precise. It targets a small area in your brain with high doses of radiation and delivers lower doses of radiation to the normal tissue around it.
What do I need to know about brain cancer treatment?
Treatment for a brain tumor depends on several things like your age, general health, and the size, location, and type of tumor. You and your loved ones will have many questions about brain cancer, the treatment, side effects, and the long-term outlook. Your health care team is the best source of this information. Don't hesitate to ask.
How much does radiation therapy cost for brain tumor?
Stereotactic radiosurgery, a type of radiation therapy commonly used on brain tumors, typically costs $12,000-$55,000; however, additional treatments sometimes are required for recurring or new tumors, so total costs can easily reach $100,000 or more.
Where is the best place for brain cancer treatment?
Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz., is recognized among the Best Hospitals for cancer and is ranked high-performing for neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No.
How long is a radiation session for brain cancer?
A treatment session may last between 15 minutes and two hours, depending on the type of radiosurgery given. You will need to wear a special mask or frame during the treatment.
Which radiation therapy is best for brain tumor?
Stereotactic radiosurgery is the use of a single, high dose of radiation given directly to the tumor and not healthy tissue. It works best for a tumor that is only in 1 area of the brain and certain noncancerous tumors. It can also be used when a person has more than 1 metastatic brain tumor.
Who is best doctor for brain cancer?
Patients have better outcomes when they're treated by a neurosurgeon who has experience with their tumor type. Finding a specialized neurosurgeon is especially important for rare brain and spine tumor types. And, a specialized neurosurgeon also often has skilled colleagues to refer patients to for further treatment.
How effective is radiation for brain cancer?
Lim says radiation therapy has been shown to be as effective as surgery in several studies, and it could even reduce your chances of a tumor recurrence (the tumor coming back). As radiation therapies become more advanced, people who undergo treatments for brain metastases are living longer than ever before.
How long can you live after brain radiation?
Survival analysis The median follow-up of patients was 7 months, with a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 34 months. At the end of the study period, 25 deaths were registered (71%). The median survival with brain metastases was 4.43 months, ranging from 0.73 months to 78.53 months.
Is radiation to the brain painful?
Headaches. Radiation therapy can cause swelling of the brain that causes headaches. Headaches are a less common side effect than fatigue or irritability but can affect your quality of life. There are several medications that can help the pain from these headaches.
Is radiation worse than chemo?
The radiation beams change the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing it to shrink or die. This type of cancer treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.
How quickly does radiation shrink brain tumors?
Radiotherapy treatment to control symptoms of brain cancer might take a few days or weeks to work. The radiotherapy might cause swelling at first, which might make your symptoms seem as though they are getting worse. Your doctor will usually prescribe steroids during your radiotherapy to help with the swelling.
What foods shrink brain tumors?
Dark, leafy greens. Spinach, kale and arugula are all great sources of inflammation reducing minerals, which aid disease-fighting cells to help support your immune system. When paired with fatty nuts and oils, they can be quickly absorbed into your system.
How many times can you do radiation on the brain?
Whole-brain radiation applies radiation to the entire brain in order to kill tumor cells. People undergoing whole-brain radiation usually require 10 to 15 treatments over two to three weeks. Side effects may include fatigue, nausea and hair loss.
What is the best treatment for brain cancer?
Radiation Therapy for Brain Cancer. Radiation therapy is one of many options for brain cancer treatment. The goal of this type of treatment is to kill the cancer cells using high-energy X-rays, gamma rays or protons. Radiation therapy can be delivered in one of two ways: externally or internally.
How is radiation delivered?
Radiation therapy can be delivered in one of two ways: externally or internally. External beam radiation therapy is administered from outside the patient’s body using a machine that precisely directs the rays, and is the most commonly used form of radiation therapy for brain cancer.
What is the Moffitt brain cancer team?
Moffitt’s brain cancer team collaborates as a tumor board to develop an individualized treatment plan that’s tailored to each patient’s unique situation. Many factors, such as a patient’s age, general health and past treatments, are considered when determining which form of radiation therapy, if any, will be most effective.
Is radiation therapy used for brain tumors?
This form of radiation therapy is not commonly used for treating brain tumors. The Radiation Oncology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center features a multispecialty team of physicians, including experts who focus solely on the treatment of brain cancer using advanced radiation therapy techniques, such as: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) ...
Why do we need a treatment break for radiation?
Therefore, a treatment break may be needed to prevent the possibility of infection and bleeding if these counts get too low.
What is the best medicine for a tumor?
MEDICATIONS#N#While you are receiving treatment, you may be taking a medicine called Decadron (dexamethasone). This medicine decreases the swelling and inflammation caused by the tumor and radiation. You need to know the following about Decadron: 1 Decadron may cause an increase in appetite, increased urination, fluid retention (swelling), leg cramps, and mood changes. These are expected and temporary effects of the drug, but should be reported to your nurse or doctor 2 DO NOT take this medicine on an empty stomach. DO take it with food or milk, or prescribed antacid medication During treatment, your doctor will, over a period of time, decrease the amount of Decadron. 3 DO NOT decrease or stop this medicine without being instructed to do so by your doctor.
How long does it take for hair to grow after radiation?
The hair loss will occur about two weeks after treatment has started. Hair will usually begin to grow again 2 to 3 months after treatment is over.
Does radiation cause fatigue?
During radiation therapy, the body uses a lot of energy. Stress related to your illness, daily trips for treatment, and the effects of radiation on normal cells all contribute to fatigue. The amount of fatigue varies with each person and generally will go away when your treatment is completed.
How does radiation therapy affect the brain?
The actual treatment time each day is much shorter. High doses of radiation therapy can damage normal brain tissue, so doctors try to deliver the radiation to the tumor while giving the lowest possible dose to normal surrounding brain areas. Several techniques can help doctors focus the radiation more precisely:
How is radiation focused on a tumor?
Once the exact location of the tumor is known from CT or MRI scans , radiation is focused at the tumor from many different angles. This can be done in 2 ways: In one approach, thin radiation beams are focused at the tumor from hundreds of different angles for a short period of time.
How does radiation kill cancer cells?
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or small particles to kill cancer cells. This type of treatment is given by a doctor called a radiation oncologist. Radiation therapy may be used in different situations: 1 After surgery to try to kill any remaining tumor cells 2 As the main treatment if surgery is not a good option and medicines are not effective 3 To help prevent or relieve symptoms from the tumor
What is radiation therapy called?
Most often, the radiation is focused on the tumor from a source outside the body. This is called external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). This type of radiation therapy is much like getting an x-ray, but the dose of radiation is much higher.
How long does radiation treatment last?
The treatment is not painful. Each session lasts about 15 to 30 minutes, and much of that time is spent making sure the radiation is aimed correctly. The actual treatment time each day is much shorter.
Why do you put a head frame on a tumor?
A head frame might be attached to the skull to help aim the radiation beams. (Sometimes a face mask is used to hold the head in place instead.)
What are the problems with radiation?
Problems can include memory loss, personality changes, and trouble concentrating. There may also be other symptoms depending on the area of brain treated and how much radiation was given. These risks must be balanced against the risks of not using radiation and having less control of the tumor.
Types of Radiation Therapy for Brain Tumors
There are 2 main types of therapy. You may get both types. They include:
External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
There are several types of EBRT. The goal is to target the tumor and limit damage to nearby healthy brain cells. To limit the harm, your healthcare provider may use special types of EBRT such as:
Brachytherapy
For this treatment, the radiation is placed very close to or inside the tumor. This is done during surgery. The radiation the implants give off travels a very short distance. This helps limit the effect on nearby healthy tissue.
Brain Radiation Side Effects
Generally, side effects from radiation treatment are grouped into two categories:
Radiation necrosis
Sometimes dead brain tissue forms at the site of the radiation. This is called radiation necrosis. The mass of dead brain tissue comes from both cancer cells and healthy cells. Radiation necrosis can take anywhere from months to years to develop.
Risk of future cancer
Radiation can damage the DNA in healthy cells. As a result, you have a small risk of a second brain cancer after brain radiation. This second cancer usually occurs many years later. Talk to your radiation oncologist about the risks and benefits of radiation therapy.
The Radiation Team
Treatment planning for radiation therapy includes mapping to pinpoint the exact location of the brain tumor using X-rays or other images.
What is radiotherapy for cancer?
Radiotherapy is required in the treatment of about 40% of cancers which is a pretty significant figure. Doctors who specialize in this area are called radiation oncologists. They’re the ones who decide the method of administration of radiotherapy as well as the dose and anything else that might be related to the treatment of cancer using radiation.
What is radiation oncology?
Radiation oncology is a term that doesn’t need much explaining if you understand what each word means. Oncology is the science of cancer and oncologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating cancer. Radiation is exposure to radiotherapy. So radiation oncology is simply the use of radiotherapy in order to treat cancer ...
Why is radiation oncology important?
Radiation oncology is so important because of its widespread use. We mentioned that around 40% of cancer patients can benefit from radiotherapy and that’s pretty significant. Radiotherapy has so many applications and can be used to treat so many tumors. It can also be added to multiple treatment plans.
How do oncologists fight cancer?
Radiation is another major tool oncologists have in the fight against cancer. Sometimes radiation is used in combination with surgery such as in breast cancer. One of the ways doctors can deal with breast cancer is by performing conservative surgery where only the breast lump is removed.
How long does it take to become a radiation oncologist?
First of all you would have to get an internal medicine residency after medical school which is about 3-4 years long. After that you would need to qualify for an oncology fellowship which is another 2-3 years.
Why do people get radiation after breast surgery?
In this kind of treatment, which many people prefer as it conserves the rest of the breast and the cosmetic appearance, radiation therapy is given after the surgery in order to lower the recurrence rate . There are several examples of the combination of radiation with surgery when it comes to treating cancer.
What is stereotactic radiation?
One example of this can be brain cancer. So a technique called stereotactic radiation therapy is used where special equipment such as the Gamma Knife can be used to deliver radiation in a small and confined area.
How long does it take for radiation to get to the brain?
The beam travels through the skin, the skull, healthy brain tissue, and other tissues to get to the tumor. The treatments are usually given 5 days. Each treatment takes only a few minutes.
How does chemo help with brain cancer?
Chemotherapy for Brain Cancer. Chemotherapy is the use of powerful medicines to kill tumor cells. You may get a single medicine or a combination of them. Chemotherapy is given by mouth or through an IV. Some medications are given through the shunt put in place to drain excess fluid from your brain.
How does stereotactic radiosurgery work?
Stereotactic radiosurgery destroys a brain tumor without opening the skull. A single large dose of high-energy radiation beams is trained on the tumor from different angles. The radiation destroys the tumor. Stereotactic radiosurgery has fewer complications than regular surgery and a shorter recovery time.
How long does it take to recover from brain tumor surgery?
Brain tumor surgery usually requires at least a few days of recovery in the hospital. The time could be longer depending on your age, overall health, and the type of treatment. You may need chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery. That could also affect how much time you spend in the hospital.
What is the purpose of clinical trials for brain cancer?
Brain Cancer Clinical Trials. Researchers use clinical trials to test the effects of new medications on a group of volunteers with brain cancer. They follow strict rules and create carefully controlled conditions to figure out how well the drug treats brain cancer, how safe it is, and if there are any side effects.
What is the best medicine for cerebrospinal fluid?
You may take a steroid drug, like dexamethasone ( Decadron ), to relieve swelling. You may get an anticonvulsant drug to relieve or prevent seizures. If cerebrospinal fluid is collecting around your brain, your doctor may put in a thin, plastic tube called a shunt to drain the fluid.
What is the treatment for a tumor?
The most widely used treatments are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In most cases, more than one of these is used. The treatment you get will depend on: The type of tumor. The size and location of the tumor. Your age and overall health. The risks of a particular treatment. Other medical problems you have.
How long does radiation treatment last?
What Happens During Radiation. The treatment is normally Monday through Friday and lasts about 45 minutes. A lot of time is spent getting your body in the right position, so the radiation hits its desired locations. You lay down on a custom-molded table. A technician positions your body using lasers and measurements.
How long does it take for radiation to hit your body?
This may seem scary, but this ensures the radiation does not hit healthy areas. The radiation takes a couple of minutes. You can sense when the radiation hits your body if you receive radiation to your brain.
Does radiation cause hair loss?
Radiation to your brain causes hair loss, but over time it grows back. As your hair grows again, so will you. Remember, during and after radiation treatment, listen to your body, ask questions, acknowledge side effects and adjust.