There are many approaches to brain tumor treatment based on your specific diagnosis. Your treatment plan will depend on the type of brain tumor you have, its size and location, whether it’s benign or malignant, your overall health, and other factors that your care team will discuss with you.

Brain tumors are often treated through a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. More aggressive tumors may require immediate surgical removal. while smaller tumors that are not likely to spread may just need active monitoring. These smaller tumors often don’t cause any symptoms.

As a national leader in brain tumor care, Penn Medicine offers standard treatments alongside forward-looking, innovative therapies and comprehensive support. No matter what type of tumor you have, Penn’s Brain Tumor Program offers individualized care for the best possible treatment outcome.

Brain surgery is one of the most common treatments for brain tumors. Surgery is often recommended for malignant tumors and benign tumors that are growing and causing symptoms. The goal of surgery for any tumor is to remove as much of the growth as possible and relieve the pressure it’s causing on the brain.

Surgery can also be performed to provide tissue for a biopsy, determine the extent of the tumor, and provide access for other treatments, like radiation implants. The Penn Brain Tumor Center is a national leader in brain tumor surgery options including:

• Gamma Knife
• TumorGlow™
• Craniotomy
• Awake craniotomy with brain mapping
• Laser interstitial thermal coagulation therapy (LITT)

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to remove cancer cells or keep them from growing. Penn Medicine’s radiation oncologists use advanced technology, including image modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). We are nationally recognized for our techniques that target radiation precisely to the tumor site while sparing normal tissue.

There are three primary types of radiation therapy:

• External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. One type of external radiation therapy is hyper-fractionated radiation therapy. This therapy divides the total dose of radiation into small doses given more than once a day.
• Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type of tumor and where it is in the brain.
• Proton therapy is the most precise form of radiation treatment for cancer, delivering doses of radiation to the tumor while helping to keep the surrounding healthy tissue safe.

Chemotherapy to treat brain tumors

Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by removing them or by stopping them from dividing. It can be used alone or in combination with surgery and radiation therapy. Your care team will explain the benefits, risks, and side effects of chemotherapy and whether it’s the best option for your treatment.

Clinical trials for brain tumor treatment

In addition to established standard treatment therapies, clinical trials are creating innovative new therapies to improve brain tumor treatment results and improve quality of life. Penn Medicine is at the forefront of brain tumor research and regularly leads active clinical trials to bring encouraging results to patients through innovation and exploration.

Support during brain tumor treatment

Brain tumor care is not just clinical. When you’re facing this diagnosis, it helps to have access to the right logistical and emotional support resources. This is why Penn Medicine provides patients with a designated oncology nurse navigator who can handle their care arrangements, answer their questions, and connect them and their families with support groups and other resources to help them navigate these challenges. Our team is here for you every step of the way. Learn more about patient support for brain tumors offered at Penn Medicine.

Penn’s brain tumor team provides standard treatments and therapies along with innovative new treatments to care for people with brain tumors and brain cancer. This includes CAR T cell therapy, a transformative cancer treatment pioneered right here at Penn Medicine.

• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Proton therapy
• CAR-T cell therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Vaccine therapy