Brain tumor patient support
Compassionate support services during your brain tumor journey
In addition to its physical impact, a brain tumor diagnosis takes a psychological toll that requires its own level of support. No matter what type of tumor you’re facing, it’s scary, and you deserve informed and compassionate help to address the logistical questions, uncertainty, and mental health issues related to your diagnosis.
As part of our commitment to treating all aspects of your brain tumor, we offer a wide variety of support services to help you navigate your care journey. These services include:
- Counseling – A full-time social worker supports and assists patients with brain tumors and their families.
- Brain tumor support group – Patients and their loved ones share experiences while gaining support and knowledge.
- Survivorship program – Our program helps support the physical and mental health needs of cancer survivors and their families.
- Rehabilitation – Specialists work with patients to maximize quality of life during and after cancer treatment.
- At-home services – Patients can maintain independence while receiving clinical and support services at home.
Patients with cancerous brain tumors can also access palliative care and pain management support, nutritional counseling, and additional patient education.
Beyond treatment: comprehensive support from a dedicated nurse navigator
A brain tumor diagnosis can feel overwhelming to manage. It’s natural to ask, “Where do I go from here?” To help bring clarity to the road ahead, we pair patients with a dedicated nurse navigator who can guide them on their journey.
While your clinical team is treating your tumor, your nurse navigator is the thread that brings every element of your plan together. As your primary point-person during treatment, your nurse navigator will:
- Communicate with providers and coordinate appointments that fit your schedule
- Help you access the right specialists and support resources
- Answer questions
- Help explain what to expect during each step
- Provide educational resources and information on clinical trials, if appropriate
- Support you in your decision making
The last thing you should have to worry about when facing a brain tumor is keeping all the logistics of your treatment straight. Your nurse navigator is with you every step of the way to address your current and future needs.
Rated “exceptional” by The National Cancer Institute
Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center is a world leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. Our status as a national leader in cancer care is reflected in our continuous designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 1973, one of 7 such centers in the United States. The ACC is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, one of a select few cancer centers in the U.S., that are working to promote equitable access to high-quality, advanced cancer care.
Patient stories
Real-time tumor assessment brings relief
“Hearing my results right away and walking away from an appointment with a game plan lets me enjoy my life between scans,” said Lynn Oxenberg.
Before launching a new CNN show, journalist Kasie Hunt had a brain tumor removed
“There’s nowhere in the world I would rather have this done than at Penn.”
How discoveries become cures, in a virtuous cycle
Public investments in biomedical research have an outsized effect, driving new scientific insights, economic growth, and ultimately treatments and cures.
How future cures begin as ideas in laboratories
The successes of CAR T research show the importance of the cycle of science—sparking new ideas and clinical trials that give patients better options.
An unexpected diagnosis and a surreal surgery
“No one ever wants to go through this, but having this support system in place for my own journey has helped me to feel like I’m in the best hands at every turn.”
Former news anchor recounts brain surgery at Penn Medicine
“I was a Penn Medicine brain surgery patient. I am also a woman thriving now with a healthy brain.”
How a brain tumor helped cyclist Chris Baccash change his life
It would have been understandable for the Doylestown, PA, native to feel despondent about the road ahead. But he had a different reaction to the news.