Brain cancer can occur in and around the tissue of your brain. Because these tumors tend to grow quickly—destroying healthy tissue and creating pressure in the skull—they can contribute to serious health issues. While not all brain tumors are cancerous, even benign (noncancerous) tumors should be diagnosed and treated by an experienced oncologist. Schedule an appointment to speak with a member of our cancer care team.
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of brain cancer vary depending on where in the brain the tumor has formed. If the cancer develops in a more active part of the brain, the signs might present early.
The most common symptom of brain cancer is headaches, which occur in roughly half of all patients. The headaches are caused when a growing tumor pushes on surrounding tissue, creating pressure and causing the brain to swell.
Other symptoms of brain cancer include the following.
- Nausea or vomiting
- Vision problems
- Equilibrium issues or dizziness
- Loss of feeling in an arm or leg
- Hearing problems
- Memory loss and other cognitive issues
- Changes in personality or behavior
- Seizures that are uncharacteristic
Speak to your doctor about signs and symptoms of brain cancer, or schedule an appointment with one of our cancer experts to discuss your options.
How We Diagnose Brain Cancer
Our team uses the following diagnostic procedures to identify brain cancer.
- Angiogram: A contrast dye is injected into your bloodstream, which makes your arteries and veins visible during X-ray image scans.
- Core Needle Biopsy: Often performed using local anesthesia, a hollow needle is inserted into your brain, extracting tissue for testing and analysis.
- Low-dose Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan: X-ray signals of the body are processed by a computer in narrow “slices,” ensuring maximum image accuracy.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A combination of a magnetic field and radio waves creates three-dimensional images of your brain to determine if cancer or other abnormalities are present.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan: A member of our team injects you with a radioactive substance (called a tracer). The tracer is then absorbed by cancer cells in your body, making the cells viewable through imaging scans.
Treatment Options
Our multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to outline a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Experts from a range of specialties will discuss your condition and determine the best plan of action. Factors we consider when developing your treatment plan include the stage and location of the cancer and your personal medical history.
Treatments for brain cancer include the following.
Medical Therapy
Our board-certified oncologists prescribe your medical therapy, and our highly trained nursing staff administers that therapy intravenously, orally, or through injection.
Among the medical treatments we provide are the following.
- Targeted Drug Therapy: This type of cancer treatment uses drugs to “target” cancer cells without affecting normal cells.
- Chemotherapy: This drug treatment uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cancer cells in your body.
- Immunotherapy: This treatment option boosts your immune system, empowering it to fight and destroy cancer cells.
Radiation Therapy
Our team of board-certified radiation oncologists may use external beam radiation in combination with other treatments to address your cancer. Employing sophisticated technology, our therapists concentrate high-energy beams of radiation on the precise parts of your body affected by disease. This safe and accurate procedure may be administered routinely over a period of days or weeks.
Surgical Approaches
Depending on the type and stage of the disease, our cancer care team might perform one of the following surgeries to address your brain cancer.
- Skull Base Tumor Surgery: Our surgeons use sophisticated and minimally-invasive techniques to treat meningiomas, chordomas, gliomas, and other tumors located at the base of the skull near critical nerves and blood vessels.
- Craniotomy: During this “awake surgery” (meaning the patient is kept awake in order for doctors to monitor brain function) surgeons remove part of the skull and extract cancerous tissue from the exposed brain.
- Endonasal Endoscopic Surgery: Surgeons access the front of the brain through the nose and sinuses, extracting tumors and lesions without removing part of the skull.
Learn more about cancer treatment options at Bayhealth.
Support Services
Before, during, and after your cancer treatments, our experts remain dedicated to improving your quality of life. Our care team supports you in establishing healthy routines that help you stay in control of your daily symptoms. We also host support groups that provide patients and families opportunities to connect and share their experiences — because a strong network of support can help to make the realities of cancer more manageable.
- Cancer Support Community: A statewide non-profit organization, the Cancer Support Community is dedicated to helping people manage the emotional aspects of their cancer journey. Learn more about the Cancer Support Community.
Explore our classes, events, and support groups.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that test new drugs, procedures, and technologies with the purpose of establishing new or better ways of treating cancer. Members of your Bayhealth cancer care team can review your options and help you to determine whether any open clinical trials might be an option for your treatment plan.