Brain Tumor Program

Surgery

A neurosurgeon can remove a brain tumor if the brain tumor is located in a place that makes it accessible for an operation. Complete surgical removal is possible if tumors are small and easy to separate from surrounding brain tissue. If tumors are near sensitive areas, or cannot be separated from surrounding tissue, then a neurosurgeon will remove as much of the tumor as is safe.

Depending on the grade and location of the tumor, surgical options range from:

• Speech and movement function preserving awake brain surgery
• Functional nerve preservation with cortical and subcortical mapping
• Multimodal complex imaging integration
• Fluorescence-guided surgery for maximal tumor resection
• MRI-guided laser-based surgery
• Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery
• Complex skull base surgery
• Intraoperative radiation (brachytherapy placement) and chemotherapy implants
• Multidisciplinary pituitary surgery
• Complex spinal tumor removal with nerve mapping and reconstruction/fusion
• Spinal radiosurgery

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy for a brain tumor uses drugs to kill tumor cells and are available for use depending on cancer type. The type of brain tumor you have will determine whether to recommend chemotherapy.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation is a type of treatment used to shrink tumors and stop the growth of cancer cells. Frequently used in the brain and spine to destroy tumor cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue, radiation treatment options offered at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University include:

• External beam radiation (intensity-modulated radiotherapy and on-board imaging)
• Linear Accelerator-based and Gamma Knife© radiosurgery, a minimally invasive alternative to surgery
• Specialized positron emission tomography (PET) imaging that allows us to diagnose and treat more accurately

Proton Therapy

Proton therapy is a form of radiation treatment that delivers an exact, high dose of radiation to a tumor site while keeping the surrounding tissue and organs healthy and safe from damage. Our physicians have the expertise and experience to determine the appropriate use of this advanced technology as part of a complete treatment plan.

Personalized Medicine & Targeted Therapies

Combining personalized medicine and targeted therapy, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University can tailor specific care to your brain tumor through identifying unique characteristics and new drug research.

Clinical Trials at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University

Because a standard curative treatment is not available for all brain tumors, investigative and research treatment protocols are available for the therapy of new or recurrent brain tumors. Emory offers a diverse number of studies to meet the widely varying needs of brain tumor patients. Consider talking with your doctor about participating in a clinical trial at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Through these trials, you may have access to treatments that are not widely available.

The Brain Tumor Support Group meets the first Thursday of each month to provide an opportunity for information-sharing and support for brain tumor patients, as well as their family, friends and caregivers.

Please see below the Brain Tumor Support Group information:

Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital