Lahey Cancer Institute
Clinical experts of Lahey Cancer Institute offer research, training and education in addition to personalized patient care using advanced treatments at locations convenient to you.
Brain & Spine Cancer Care
Advanced care for malignant brain and spinal tumors
Advanced Treatments at the Brain Tumor Clinic
Cancerous brain and spine tumors are caused by an abnormal growth of cells in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spine. The Brain Tumor Clinic at Lahey Clinic offers a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating malignant (cancerous) brain tumors.
Cancerous Conditions We Treat
Our experts have extensive training and experience treating all types of brain cancers, such as:
- Primary brain cancer tumors: Form in the brain
- Gliomas, including glioblastoma, astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas
- Lymphomas
- Secondary brain tumors: Spread, or metastasize, from other parts of the body and include lung, breast, melanoma, gastrointestinal (GI) tract or any systemic cancer
- Pituitary and skull base tumors: Form in the pituitary gland or at the base of the skull
- Spinal cancer tumors: Form or spread to the spine
We also treat complications of cancer and cancer therapy. These conditions include neuropathy, cognitive changes related to radiation or chemotherapy, chronic headaches, neurological weakness or seizures.
More About Brain & Spine Cancer Care
Symptoms & Making an Accurate Diagnosis
Brain cancer symptoms vary depending on the tumor size, type and location. Symptoms may occur when a tumor damages a certain area of the brain or causes swelling.
For each new patient suspected of having a tumor in the brain or spine, members of the Brain Tumor Clinic team collaborate on the best approach.
To evaluate your condition, we use details gathered from:
Other advanced studies — such as MR spectroscopy and MR perfusion — can help diagnose tumors. In addition to 1.5 Tesla, we also have 3 Telsa MRI machines for higher image quality. This state-of-the-art equipment offers you improved comfort and a faster scan.
Biopsy and Tumor Resection
Analyzing tissue from the brain tumor is the only way to make a definitive and accurate diagnosis. That’s why your neurosurgeon may recommend a biopsy or resection.
A stereotactic brain biopsy uses frameless neuro-navigation (3D coordination with your MRI images) to guide the surgeon’s biopsy target. In some cases, we take the tissue sample by resecting (removing) a larger amount of tumor.
After surgery, a neuropathologist closely examines the cells under a microscope to look for alterations in the molecules or genes.
Brain Tumor Conference (BTC)
Your cancer care team involves specialists from:
Each week, our team of brain and spine experts meets to review cases and present MRI and pathology results at a brain tumor conference (BTC). This collaboration allows experts from different medical specialties to review details about your condition and ensures you get a customized treatment plan unique to your needs.
Once the team develops the best treatment plan for you, we’ll meet with you to discuss your quality of life and potential side effects from the treatment we recommend.
From there, you and your doctors can decide on your individualized care plan. We offer state-of-the-art treatments in our radiation department and infusion center for patients needing these types of brain cancer therapies.
If you wish to consider experimental treatment options through a clinical research trial, we can arrange a consultation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center or another major cancer center in Boston.
Spine, Nerve & Brain Cancer Treatments
Cancer treatment for brain tumors usually involves some combination of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and other modalities. This may include tumor treatment fields (TTF) or joining a clinical trial.
Surgery
Our oncology experts use surgery on brain tumors for several reasons:
- To biopsy the tumor tissue and examine it closely in a lab to make an accurate diagnosis
- To relieve pressure on the brain caused by the tumor
- To remove the entire tumor, or as much of it as possible
Surgery is the preferred initial treatment for brain tumors that can be removed without causing significant damage to normal brain tissue. Depending on the location of your tumor within the brain, we may perform a craniotomy to remove a large amount of the tumor. Tumors deep in the brain, and therefore difficult to reach surgically, can be safely operated on using our advanced neuro-navigation system.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy often is the next step in the treatment plan for tumors that cannot be surgically removed (partially or fully). We offer conventional radiation as well as or focused radiation (also called stereotactic radiosurgery).
Radiation therapy uses beams of energy to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. At Lahey, we use a modified linear accelerator to deliver targeted radiation to areas deep within the brain without injuring the surrounding brain structures. This treatment is available at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington and at Lahey Medical Center, Peabody.
Chemotherapy
For certain brain tumors, we recommend chemotherapy as your most effective option. Chemotherapy uses medications to kill tumor cells or slow tumor growth. Most chemotherapy drugs are given orally or through an IV.
Tumor Treating Fields
We also treat malignant gliomas with a therapy called tumor treating fields (TTF). TTF devices deliver mild, alternating electric fields to the tumor through electrodes placed on the scalp. By physically interfering, it prevents cancer cells from dividing and multiplying. This process slows tumor growth and can kill the cancerous cells. For many patients, we combine TTF with chemotherapy for an effective treatment plan.
Care After Treatment
Following treatment for your brain tumor, you may benefit from rehabilitation through neurological, speech and swallowing, physical, or occupational therapy.
Lahey also offers a wide variety of supportive care and survivorship programs such as support groups and many other services.
