Brain cancer and spinal cord tumour
Most of malignant tumours can spread to other organs. Brain and spinal cord tumours can spread to other parts of the nervous system, but rarely to other locations in the body.
Spinal cord tumor may also be called intradural tumor.
Headache is one of the most common symptoms of these types of cancers.
The staging of a brain tumor is done with different imaging studies, including: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), chest x-ray, biopsy, lumbar puncture, blood and urine tests.
Surgery alone, surgery combined with external radiation therapy or external radiation therapy alone after diagnostic biopsy, can control or cure many types of central nervous system malignant tumors.
In specific clinical situations, a special technique called radiosurgery (SRS) is used. This technique uses high doses of radiation, administered in a single session with accuracy and precision in order to preserve healthy tissue. It is used in well-defined tumors, small in size and located in places inaccessible to surgery, therefore, it can sometimes replace surgery as an alternative. Like SRS, a variant is to use few high-dose treatment fractions (hypofractionation), both being useful in many clinical situations, such as metastases and re-irradiation of malignant gliomas.
Chemotherapy is used in conjunction with surgery and radiation therapy. Targeted drug therapy is useful when chemotherapy is not effective.
The GCCC 360 Centre of Oncological Excellence is pioneer in resonance planning for brain tumors, allowing a better definition of the tumor limits, higher precision and minimizing irradiation to healthy tissues.
