What You Need To Know About Brain Cancer

Author: Dick Aronson

Malignant brain tumors occur in about 4.5 people per 100,000 population, they may occur at any age but brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in patients younger than age 35. In adults, incidence is generally highest between ages 40 to 60.

There are two main types of brain cancer. Primary brain cancer starts in the brain. Metastatic brain cancer starts somewhere else in the body and moves to the brain. The most common tumor types in adults are gliomas and meningiomas. In children, incidence is generally highest before age 1 and again between ages 2 and 12. The most common types of brain tumour in children are astrocytomas, medulloblastomas, ependymomas and brain stem gliomas.



CAUSES OF BRAIN CANCER

What causes brain cancer is not exactly known but there has recently been a great deal of speculation on the role of cell phone radiation in the development of brain cancer. In fact, while studies generally have shown no link between cell phones and brain cancer, there is some conflicting scientific evidence that may be worth additional study, according to the FDA.



More accepted risk factors for brain cancer include; exposure to vinyl chloride and individuals with risk factors such as having a job in an oil refinery, as a chemist, embalmer, or rubber industry worker show higher rates of brain cancer. Other risk factors such as smoking, radiation exposure, and viral infection (HIV) have been suggested but not proven to cause brain cancer. Patients with a history of melanoma, lung, breast, colon, or kidney cancer are at risk for secondary brain cancer.



SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BRAIN CANCER

Onset of symptoms is usually insidious and brain tumors are often misdiagnosed. Brain Cancers cause central nervous system changes by invading and destroying tissues and by secondary effects such as pressure on the brain. Symptoms vary but in general, brain cancer symptoms include: Abnormal pulse and breathing rates, deep, dull headaches that recur often and persist without relief for long periods of time, difficulty walking or speaking, dizziness, eyesight problems including double vision, seizures, vomiting and at the late stages of the disorder dramatic changes in blood pressure may occur. Although headaches are often a symptom of brain cancer, it is important to remember that most headaches are due to less serious conditions such as migraine or tension, not cancer.



DIAGNOSIS OF BRAIN CANCERS

In most cases a definitive diagnosis is made by a tissue biopsy. Other diagnostic tools include; patient history, a neurologic assessment, skull x-rays, a brain scan, CT scan, MRI, a lumbar puncture and cerebral angiography. Meningiomas, arising from the covering around the brain or spinal cord, account for about 20% of brain cancers and are generally more benign.



TREATMENT OF BRAIN TUMORS

How to treat brain tumors depends on the age of the patient, the stage of the disease, the type and location of the tumor, and whether the cancer is a primary tumor or brain metastases. Brain cancer and brain tumors are somewhat unique because of the blood

brain barrier, which severely restricts the types of substances in the bloodstream that are allowed by the body into the brain and makes drug treatment extremely difficult. Because of this more and more research is being undertaken in delivering medication by means of nanoparticles, amongst the properties of nanoparticles that make them ideal candidates for recognizing and treating brain cancer, their ability to deliver a wide variety of payloads across the blood-brain barrier is perhaps the most important.



Brain cancers location and ability to spread quickly makes treatment with surgery or radiation like fighting an enemy hiding out among minefields and caves, and explains why the term brain cancer is all too often associated with the word inoperable.

Brain cancer survival statistics for the deadliest of tumors such as gliomas have not improved significantly over the past two decades and the clinical armamentarium is, to a large extent, still dependent on surgery and radiation therapy, treatments known to leave survivors with devastating cognitive deficits. Gamma knife surgery is a radiosurgery technique used to treat people with brain cancer and other neurological disorders



The most deadly form of brain cancer may be treatable with a vaccine that uses proteins. Unlike measles or mumps vaccines, which are meant to prevent disease, the brain cancer vaccine turns on the patient's own immune system so it will help kill the tumor. When the vaccine is injected, it stimulates the immune system to kill off brain cancer cells and prevent the regrowth of tumors that have already been treated.



PROGNOSIS

The chances of surviving for a person with a brain tumor: Prognosis greatly depends on all of the following: type of tumor extent of the disease size and location of the tumor presence or absence of metastasis the tumor's response to therapy, age, overall health, and medical history, tolerance of specific medications, procedures, or therapies. Metastatic brain cancer indicates advanced disease and has a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, the most common form of primary brain cancer, glioblastoma, is also the most aggressive and lethal but teratomas and other germ cell tumors although they have the capacity to grow very large may have a more favorable prognosis.

About the Author:

Dick Aronson has a background of over 35 years in various facets of the Healthcare industry. He now runs a number of informative health sites; Go" target="_blank">www.healthinnovationsonline.com/">Go to Health Innovations , Go to Cancer Information Online and Go to Brain Cancer Site

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - What You Need To Know About Brain Cancer

Meningioma Surgery in Medan (May 16, 2007)

I had been in Medan since May 15, 2007.
Prof. A had another tumor surgery, so I brought Selector with me.
The flight was alright, I used Sriwijaya Air.
This time I went alone. Boss wouldn’t permit Arie to come along, well…it’s OK, I can manage. I’m always the strong girl

MAY 15, 2007

The work:

Delivered Selector to hospital and explained to O.R. nurses how to assemble and disassemble the handpiece. It’s important because I won’t have a colleague to help me. I needed them to be my help.

MAY 16, 2007

The work:

Arrived in the hospital at 10 am because the nurse informed me surgery will be at 11 am. Then I found out, schedule has changed, it would be at 1 pm. Waited for 3 hours. Surgery started at 2 pm, finished 5.30 pm.

Meningioma was so big, it was 1/4 of the brain. It was very big, Prof. A used his finger to separate it from the brain. No need to use Selector!

The tumor!

Wow, that was my first experience seeing that kind of procedure.

Hmmm, a request from him: I to stay with Selector because he’d have another tumor surgery on Friday. Oh God! How should I tell Ms. S from MK Hospital? Damn!

Asked my boss’ approval for this. I needed his help to contact Dr.J!

This also meant I had to re-schedule my flight.

For the rest of my trip, read here.

Classification of Brain Tumor

By Peter Sams

A brain tumor — primary or secondary — can cause a variety of signs and symptoms because it can directly press on or invade brain tissue. This can damage or destroy areas responsible for sight, movement, balance, speech, hearing, memory or behavior. Brain tumor symptoms vary from patient to patient, and most of these symptoms can also be found in people who do NOT have brain tumors.

Therefore, the only sure way to tell if you have a brain tumor or not is to see your doctor and get a brain scan. The growth of abnormal cells in the tissues of the brain. Brain tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant. A primary brain tumor is a group (mass) of abnormal cells that start in the brain. This article focuses on primary brain tumors in adults. Brain tumors encompass neoplasms that originate in the brain itself (primary brain tumors) or involve the brain as a metastatic site. Brain tumors (metastatic brain tumors), which are malignant, are more common. These tumors result from cancer that started elsewhere in the body and spread (metastasized) to the brain.

Classification

HISTOPATHOLOGIC CLASSIFICATION — Primary brain tumors are classified by light microscopy according to their predominant cell type and graded based upon the presence or absence of standard pathologic features. Historical attempts at developing a classification system for brain tumors date back to the 1830s. The German pathologist Rudolf Virchow first introduced the term "glioma" in 1860. Virchow was also the first to attempt a correlation of microscopic to macroscopic features of CNS tumors.

Cellular Classification-He classification of brain tumors is based on both histopathological characteristics and location in the brain. Undifferentiated neuroectodermal tumors of the cerebellum have historically been referred to as medulloblastomas, while tumors of identical histology in the pineal region would be diagnosed as pineoblastomas. The nomenclature of pediatric brain tumors is controversial and potentially confusing. Some pathologists advocate abandoning the traditional morphologically-based classifications such as medulloblastoma in favor of a terminology that relies more extensively on the phenotypic characteristics of the tumor.

Primary Brain Tumor

Astrocytomas — these tumors arise from small, star-shaped cells called astrocytes. They may grow anywhere in the brain or spinal cord. In adults, astrocytomas most often arise in the cerebrum. In children, they occur in the brain stem, the cerebrum and the cerebellum. A grade III astrocytoma is sometimes called anaplastic astrocytoma. A grade IV astrocytoma is usually called glioblastoma multiforme.

Brain stem gliomas — These tumors occur in the lowest, stem-like part of the brain. The brain stem controls many vital functions. Most brain stem gliomas are high-grade astrocytomas.

Secondary Brain Tumor

Metastatic brain tumors originate from malignant tumors located primarily in other organs. Their incidence is higher than that of primary brain tumors. The most frequent types of metastatic brain tumors originate in the lung skin (malignant melanoma, kidney (hypernephroma, breast (breast carcinoma), and colon (colon carcinoma). These tumor cells reach the brain via the blood-stream.
Some non-tumoral masses and lesions can mimic tumors of the central nervous system. These include tuberculosis of the brain, cerebral abscess (commonly in toxoplasmosis), and hamartomas

Bradmer reports progression free survival data from previous Phase II glioblastoma multiforme trials

- PFS data from Neuradiab(TM) compares favorably to data from other technologies -

TSX: BMR

TORONTO, July 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX: BMR), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of cancer therapies, today released progression free survival (PFS) data from two previously conducted Phase II trials of
Neuradiab(TM) in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. As an exploratory endpoint of the single arm Phase II trials, the data showed a mean overall PFS of 17.2 months in 19 GBM patients treated with Neuradiab. Bradmer is currently conducting a Phase III clinical trial, termed the GLASS-ART Trial, evaluating Neuradiab as an adjunct therapy to the current standard of care for GBM patients. The primary endpoint of the GLASS-ART Trial is the increase in median overall survival in the treated arm compared to the standard of care control arm.

"These PFS data from the Phase II Neuradiab trials exceed the results achieved in any other clinical trial in newly-diagnosed GBM to our knowledge. This is compelling because of recent inquiries from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which suggested that Bradmer may opt to evaluate sensitivities around the merits and use of PFS as an additional interim marker of prognostic benefit," said Dr. Alan M. Ezrin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bradmer. "While the GLASS-ART Trial is being conducted with a clear primary endpoint of median overall survival, the opportunity for Neuradiab to demonstrate a patient benefit via the parameter of PFS could provide an augmented regulatory approval path. We have examined the PFS outcomes from the previous studies of Neuradiab and intend to discuss with the FDA the most appropriate method in which to use PFS data from the GLASS-ART Trial."

Recent communications from the FDA have led Bradmer to consider using PFS data not only as a secondary endpoint in the GLASS-ART Trial but to evaluate such data in a blinded and centrally reviewed manner in order to be able to use the PFS data for additional labeling consideration. As the trial is currently designed, PFS data is being collected as an exploratory secondary endpoint. New regulatory submissions can include secondary endpoint data to support labeling claims for registration purposes if the data are collected in an acceptable manner. In some cases, secondary
endpoint data can also provide early insight into patient benefit from an ongoing Phase III trial.

A recent article published in Neuro-Oncology (Lamborn et al, 2008) examined six-month progression free survival as a predictor of overall survival in glioma patients. The article included data from 597 adult patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas that enrolled in Phase II trial
protocols collected by the North American Brain Tumor Consortium between 1998 and 2002. The study concluded that progression status at 9, 18, and 26 weeks were strong predictors of survival and that progression free survival is a valid endpoint for trials of therapies for recurrent malignant glioma.

Bradmer's PFS analysis is based on 19 GBM patients in two recent single-arm Phase II trials of Neuradiab with a targeted dose of 44 Gy delivered as an adjunct to the current standard of care consisting of surgery, temozolomide and external radiation therapy (study 01128; n = 21
(Reardon et al., J Neuro-Oncology, Doc. D06-00199, February 20, 2008) (http://neuro-oncology.dukejournals.org) (DOI:10.1215/15228517-2007-053) and study 05018; n = 5).

In addition, Bradmer has reviewed the existing external GBM literature, and in nine of the eleven studies published between 2003 and 2008 by outside parties that the Company analyzed, progression free survival ranged from 4 to 10 months, with two other studies achieving 13 month and 17 month PFS results. The results from the external studies covered 16 different newly diagnosed GBM patient populations receiving various combinations of approved and investigational therapies. Bradmer has submitted its PFS data (Reardon et al.) as an abstract for inclusion at the 13th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Neuro-Oncology to be held in November, 2008.

About the GLASS-ART Trial (http://www.glassarttrial.com)

The Phase III GLASS-ART trial derives its name from its description: GBM Locoregional Agent Survival Study - Antitenascin Radiolabeled antibody Therapy Trial. The study is designed to determine the survival benefit derived from, and safety of, adding Neuradiab(TM) to the current standard of care therapy, consisting of surgery, radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy
(temozolomide), for patients diagnosed with primary glioblastoma mulitforme. The randomized trial will enroll up to 760 patients at leading treatment centers across the United States. The goal of the GLASS-ART trial is to replicate the increase survival benefit recently reported by investigators from Duke University in patients treated with Neuradiab(TM) (Reardon et al., in J Neuro-Oncology, Doc. D06-00199, February 20, 2008) (http://neuro-oncology.dukejournals.org) (DOI:10.1215/15228517-2007-053).
Additional information on the trial can be found at http://www.glassarttrial.com or at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov and then by searching the term "Bradmer" or the study identifier NCT00615186.

About Neuradiab

Neuradiab is a monoclonal antibody, conjugated to radioactive iodine, used to treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and most advanced form of brain cancer. Neuradiab(TM) delivers tumor-killing radiation specifically to residual brain tumor cells after surgery, with minimal impact on normal brain tissue. During the course of development at Duke University, over US$60 million in research grants and related support has produced a series of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials on Neuradiab(TM) and other closely related technologies. Approximately 200 brain cancer patients, including over 160 with GBM, have been treated with the Neuradiab therapy regimen, and survival benefits have significantly exceeded historical controls in each completed trial. Neuradiab(TM) has been formerly referred to in literature as 131I anti-tenascin monoclonal antibody 81c6.

Each year up to 30,000 new cases of GBM are diagnosed in the world's seven largest healthcare markets. The current standard of care for GBM patients is surgical resection followed by radiation and temozolomide. GBM tumors typically have infiltrating edges that are very difficult to completely remove with surgery. The Neuradiab(TM) therapy is delivered directly into the surgical resection cavity in a separate procedure after the initial surgery. Neuradiab(TM) delivers a concentrated level of radiation specifically to the remaining cancer cells by targeting tenascin. Tenascin is a protein over-expressed in 99% of GBM cells but absent from normal brain cells.

Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Surgery Can Safely Remove Deep Brain Tumors in Patients Without Hydrocephalus

NEW YORK, NY -- October 6, 2005 -- A research study by a New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center neurosurgeon demonstrates that surgeons who use an endoscope to biopsy or resect intraventricular brain tumors in patients without hydrocephalus achieve equal if not better results than similar cases where hydrocephalus is present -- demonstrating that the field of minimally invasive brain surgery is advancing.

Minimally invasive surgery, where possible, is generally preferred to open brain surgery because it is associated with less morbidity, less scarring, and shorter recovery time.

The study appears in the October issue of Operative Neurosurgery.

Using an endoscope to remove intraventricular brain tumors (tumors within the brain's ventricles or cavities) is seen as one of the most challenging aspects of neurosurgery because the ventricles are located near the center of the brain. And, in patients without hydrocephalus (swelling of the brain) the challenge is actually much greater because patients lack the enlarged ventricles that allow surgeons wider pathways to the tumor site and more room to operate once there.

Only a few medical centers in the U.S. have surgeons with enough training to remove intraventricular brain tumors in patients with or without hydrocephalus, and most patients end up undergoing a traditional craniotomy -- where a portion of the skull is removed in order to gain access to the brain -- and enduring the greater risk, longer recovery times, and greater scarring the procedure involves.

"Our study demonstrates that minimally invasive brain surgery is gaining ground," says Dr. Mark Souweidane, the study's author and vice chairman of the department of neurological surgery and director of pediatric neurological surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, and associate professor of clinical neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. "We know that endoscopic surgery is safer than opening a patient's brain -- a craniotomy -- and now, from our study, we know that even one of the most difficult types of endoscopic surgery -- intraventricular tumors in patients without hydrocephalus -- is becoming safer."


Dr. Souweidane hopes his study will encourage hospitals and neurosurgeons to invest in endoscopic training, and will encourage patients with brain tumors to ask questions and explore their surgical options.

With endoscopic surgery, after a small 14 mm hole is made in the skull for access, surgeons guide the endoscope, a slender catheter-like camera through the brain's normal fluid-filled compartments, which visually often looks like swimming through a soft coral reef. Surgeons watch the image on a nearby monitor, and when the tumor is located, the tools that will biopsy or resect are deployed through a 2 mm tunnel in the scope.

Because endoscopic surgery allows surgeons to reach the center of the brain without significant cutting of tissue or draining of intracranial fluid, which can cause the brain to "sag" away from the skull and bleed, the procedure is safer than traditional methods for operating upon intraventricular brain tumors.

In Dr. Souweidane's study, 80 patients at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell who underwent endoscopic management for an intraventricular brain tumor were identified from a prospective database. Of these patients, 15 had an intraventricular tumor without concomitant hydrocephalus and underwent primary endoscopic surgery for biopsy or resection. The surgical technique, the success rate, and patient outcome were assessed and then compared with the 65 hydrocephalic patients who underwent similar procedures.

All patients in the study were treated between December 1995 and December 2004. Patients in the comparison group (with hydrocephalus), ranged in age from 3 months to 80 years, with the mean being 33.1 years. Thirty-six were male and 29 were female. In the study group (without hydrocephalus), patients ranged in age from 13 to 80 years, with the mean being 40.3 years. Eight were male and seven were female.

Of the 15 patients without hydrocephalus, 11 had tumors located in the third ventricle (direct center of brain) and four had tumors located in the lateral ventricle (slightly above the center and forward). In all 15 patients, the ventricular compartment was successfully cannulated (entered) and the intended goal was accomplished: 12 patients had successful diagnostic sampling (a biopsy), and three had complete resection of a colloid cyst. There were no operative complications related to the endoscopic procedure, nor were there any recognized neurological complications, seizures, or surgically related infections or deaths. No patient required subsequent intervention for hydrocephalus.

Dr. Souweidane is among several NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell surgeons in the department of neurological surgery who routinely perform endoscopic surgery on patients with intraventricular brain tumors.


SOURCE: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Astrocytoma (July 28, 2006)

Do you know what astrocytoma is?

Here's a link for the information.

I was in Malang on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday, there was a male patient, still young, around 35 y.o. had that tumor. It was malignant, he's lost his concious, based on his Glasgow Coma Scale which was very low.

After surgery he will need chemotherapy, radiation, etc, so the tumor won't grow again. That's the theory, in reality, after surgery was done, most patient if they feel better, they won't come to see their doctor for checkups.

Anyway.........the neurosurgeons were able to remove the tumor, inspite of limited supporting equipments they have.

For you out there:

- Take care of the food you eat. Avoid junkfood and fastfood, fatty food, etc. Love your body.

- Even people at young age can get tumor! Based on my three last brain tumor surgeries, patients are considered young.

- Male and female patients are balance, although my neurosurgeon told me that women has bigger chance to get tumor! It's the hormones, they said.

Brain tumor surgeries (July 20, 2006)

Been in Bandung last Sunday night and went back to Jakarta last night.

Well, there was earthquake in Jakarta. Thank God, it was a mild one.

I accompanied neurosurgeons for two tumor removal surgeries.

One, on Tueday, was at RS St.B, meningioma, 12 hours of surgery! The longest time I have ever been! The tumor was hard and big, very big. I was very tired, standing, waiting, sitting, feeling hungry, in the cold O.T.

At the same time in Jakarta, Susan accompanied Dr.JS using our 3rd handpiece. He finally used it despite of confusing hospital's arrangement.

Hmm, as long as the patient was helped and neurosurgeons were happy and they plan to purchase my machine, I can put up with it :)

Second was on Wednesday, at RSHS, glioma, in the eye. Patient's right eye was removed. It took 5 hours of surgery.

I took a pic of the eye ball, hehehe. I will downloaded it here later.

(human eye ball)

Wish I took pictures of their MRI, so I can show you how big their tumors were.

I just felt really tired, because I skipped lunch on tuesday and had late lunch on Monday and Wednesday (at 3.30 pm). Also, I had to bring big heavy cases of the equipments.
I'm glad the neuro residents helped me carry them.

And before went home, it's alway a must to buy cakes and breads, LOL.

Dropped by at Kartikasari and Amanda Brownies. Also, bought 1 pair of shoes and 2 pairs of high heels.

Glioblastoma

A Glioblastoma is a type of a primary brain tumor. Primary brain tumors are those that arise from the brain itself rather than traveling or metastasizing from another location in the body. Approximately 17,000 new cases of primary brain tumors are treated each year in the United States.

Primary brain tumors can either be benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors (eg. meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, pituitary gland tumors) usually grow slowly and can often be removed by surgery depending upon their specific location in the brain. Malignant brain tumors, such as glioblastomas and anaplastic astrocytomas, among others, tend to grow rapidly spreading into the surrounding brain tissue and often cannot be entirely removed surgically.

Primary brain tumors can occur in both children as well as adults. The most common age groups are children 3 to 12 and adults ages 40-70. Metastatic brain tumors, such as glioblastomas, are much more common in adults than in children.

There are many different types of brain tumors. One type, know as astrocytomas, are tumors that arise from astrocyte cells - part of the supportive (neuroglial) tissue of the brain. Astrocytomas account for about half of all primary brain and spinal cord tumors.
Glioblastomas are fast growing astrocytomas that contain areas of dead (necrotic) tumor cells. In adults, glioblastoma occurs most often in the cerebrum, especially in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. They rarely occur in the cerebellum or brain stem.
Glioblastoma can be difficult to treat although surgery, radiation therapy, steroids, and chemotherapy have shown the ability to prolong survival.

Source: MediFocus.Com

Tumor removal surgery

This is my experience (dated July 4, 2005)

I got back from my assignment from Sumatera, it was almost a week of business trip. Did a demo for tumor removal machine with a neurosurgeon there.

We had 2 patients, but most touching operation was when neurosurgeon operated a 10 years old girl.

She lost one of her sight due to her condition before the surgery. After doctor plant a shunt, she can talk normally. The tumor removal was successfull. But I can't imagine what kind of pain she will feel after the surgery. My migrain won't compare to it.

Do you know that neurosurgeon must shave her head, made incision to her scalp, peeled off her scalp, drilled the skull, took off part of the scalp, opened dura layer, opened the brain, cut and removed the tumor, after he finished removing tumor, then he closed it, he sewn the blood vessel and other open location, attached the skull using wires, after that the scalp was sewn, and the nurse put a catheter to drain the blood.

Drilling the skull

Removing the tumor using ultrasonic aspirator

Meningioma

Summary from Mayo Clinic

Definition

Meningioma is a tumor that arises from the meninges — the membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord. The majority of meningioma cases are noncancerous (benign), though rarely a meningioma can be cancerous (malignant).

Meningioma occurs most commonly in women. Most people develop meningioma as adults, after age 40. But meningioma can occur at any age, including childhood.

Even if a meningioma is benign, it isn't harmless. A meningioma can press on the brain and spinal cord, causing complications such as vision loss or paralysis. The signs and symptoms you experience depend on the size and location of the meningioma and what parts of the nervous system are affected. Meningioma treatment options include surgery and radiation, though sometimes immediate treatment isn't necessary.

Treatments and drugs

The treatment you receive for meningioma depends on many factors, including the size of your meningioma, where it's located and how aggressive it's believed to be. Your doctor will also take into consideration your overall health and your goals for treatment.

No treatment
Not every person with meningioma needs to have their tumor removed. A small, slow-growing meningioma that isn't causing signs or symptoms may not require treatment.

Surgery
If your meningioma causes signs and symptoms or shows signs that it's growing, your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgeons work to remove the meningioma completely. But because meningioma may occur near many delicate structures, such as your brain, eyes and spinal cord, it isn't always possible to remove the entire tumor. In those cases, surgeons remove as much of the meningioma as possible.

Radiation therapy
If your meningioma can't be completely removed, your doctor may recommend radiation therapy following surgery. The goal of radiation therapy is to destroy any remaining meningioma cells and reduce the chance that your meningioma may recur.

Radiosurgery
Radiosurgery is a specific type of radiation treatment that aims several beams of powerful radiation at a very precise point. Rather than spread treatment out over several weeks, radiosurgery usually involves one treatment performed in one day in an outpatient setting. Contrary to its name, radiosurgery doesn't involve scalpels or incisions.