Brain and Spine Tumors
Brain and spine tumors are abnormal growths or tissue on the brain and/or spine that serve no bodily function. Tumors can interrupt brain or spine function and damage or destroy healthy tissue.
At the Clinical Neuroscience Institute’s Tumor Center, our team of providers are committed to the diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of brain and spine tumors. Our team is committed to caring for you and helping you manage your condition so you may live your healthiest, most productive life.
What are Brain and Spine Tumors?
Brain and spine tumors are growths on or around the brain or spinal column and/or spinal cord. They may damage or hinder healthy tissue, affecting bodily functions. Brain and spine tumors may develop in the brain and spine, or spread to them from other places in the body.
Symptoms of brain and spine tumors often depend on the location of the growth. Common symptoms include:
Brain
- Behavioral or cognitive changes
- Difficulty with balance
- Fatigue
- Headaches, new, sudden, or frequent (worse at night or early morning)
- Hearing problems
- Loss of touch
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
- Speech problems
- Vision problems
Spine
- Abnormal sensation in the extremities
- Back pain
- Difficulty walking
- Loss of sensation in arms or legs
- Lower sensitivity to pain or temperature
- Muscle weakness
Diagnosing Brain and Spine Tumors
A physician may ask about a patient’s symptoms and conduct a complete physical examination to come to a diagnosis. A series of imaging tests such as X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computed tomography (CT) will likely be necessary to make a definitive diagnosis. Where spine tumors are suspected, a physician may order testing of the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid to measure white blood counts. Positron emission tomography (PET) is used for metastatic tumors, and CT angiogram is used to stage the cancer and to explore vascular and major vessels of the brain.
Treatment for Brain and Spine Tumors
Treatment of brain and spine tumors vary from one patient to another. Sometimes a tumor may be treated with less-invasive methods such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In some cases, surgery may be necessary.
At the Clinical Neuroscience Institute’s Tumor Center, we utilize advanced technological tools like TrueBeam stereotactic radiosurgery. TrueBeam uses highly-accurate radiation beams to target brain and spine tumors, making treatment more precise, less invasive, and more effective.