Why are some brain tumor patients treated with surgery alone, while others also undergo radiation or chemotherapy?
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for brain tumors. Its true that some low-grade tumors can be completely removed and cured by surgery. However, high-grade tumors (those that are the most malignant) tend to grow and spread very rapidly. Radiotherapy is used to slow the growth or reduce the size of tumors. While radiation can be delivered conventionallythat is, by using external beams aimed at the tumorthere are other techniques. Brachytherapy refers to radioactive “seeds” that are placed at the tumor site. Stereotactic radiosurgery can deliver high-dose beams to a very precise location on the tumor. Chemotherapeutic drugs destroy cancer cells and are used to treat certain types of brain tumors. Chemotherapy often is preferred over radiation in treatment of young children with brain tumors, as radiation may have adverse affects on the developing brain.
