Brain and Spine Tumors

Advanced Care for Brain and Spine Tumors

Better treatment options and advanced technologies mean better outcomes.

At the Saint Thomas Brain & Spine Tumor Center, our multi-disciplinary team; specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology and other cancer and neurological support staff, provides the highest level of individualized, patient-centered care in the Southeast for both malignant and benign brain and spinal cord tumors. Equipped with the state-of-the-art technologies, that allow physicians to use computers to pinpoint tumors and a complete range of treatment alternatives, out team is able to deliver the best hope for the most effective treatment and better quality of life.

The Brain and Spine Tumor Center offers the most accurate and advanced approach to stereostactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy available today, the Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery.

Conditions Treated With Novalis:

• Primary brain tumors
• Arteriovenous malformations

  Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are defects of the circulatory system that are generally believed to arise during embryonic or fetal development or soon after birth. Seizures and headaches are the most generalized symptoms. AVMs also can cause a wide range of more specific neurological symptoms that vary from person to person, depending primarily upon the location of the AVM. Such symptoms may include muscle weakness or paralysis, loss of coordination, difficulties carrying out tasks that require planning, dizziness, visual disturbances, problems using or understanding language, abnormal sensations (such as numbness, tingling, or spontaneous pain), memory deficits, mental confusion, hallucinations, or dementia. Medication can often alleviate general symptoms such as headache, back pain, and seizures caused by AVMs and other vascular lesions. However, the definitive treatment for AVMs is either surgery or focused irradiation therapy.

• Acoustic neuromas

  An acoustic neuroma is a benign (non-cancerous) tissue growth that arises on the cranial nerve leading from the brain to the inner ear. Acoustic neuromas usually grow slowly over a period of years. As they grow, they can displace normal brain tissue. Though brain is not actually invaded by the tumor, it can cause excessive pressure on the brain as it enlarges.

• Cavernous angiomas

  Cavernous angiomas are clusters of abnormal blood vessels found in the brain, spinal cord, and, less frequenlty, in other areas of the body. Having the appearance of a raspberry, a typical cavernous angioma can range in size from microscopic to several inches in diameter. It is made of multiple little cell "bubbles" that are filled with blood. Seizures, stroke symptoms, hemorrhages, and headache as well as neurological deficits such as weaknesses in arms or legs, vision problems, balance problems, or memory and attention problems are just a few of the symptoms associated with cavernous angiomas.. Medications are frequently used to treat seizures and headaches caused by cavernous angiomas; surgery is often prescribed when the angioma is expanding in size or is causing seizures.

• Recurrent brain tumors

  Adult brain tumors are diseases in which cancer (malignant) cells begin to grow in the tissues of the brain. Tumors that start in the brain are called primary brain tumors. In many cases, tumors found in the brain have started somewhere else in the body and spread (metastasized) to the brain. These are called metastatic brain tumors. Some symptoms of a brain tumor might include: frequent headaches, vomiting, loss of appetite, dramatic changes in mood and/or personality, changes in ability to learn, and seizures.
  
  Adult brain tumors are generally diagnosed and removed in surgery. If a brain tumor is suspected, a biopsy is done by removing part of the skull and using a needle to remove a sample of the brain tissue. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. If cancer cells are found, the doctor will remove as much tumor as safely possible during the same surgery. An MRI may then be done to determine if any cancer cells remain after surgery. Tests are also done to find out the grade of the tumor.

• Brain metastases
• Trigeminal Neuralgia

  Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), also called tic douloureux, is a chronic pain condition that causes extreme, sporadic, sudden burning or shock-like face pain. The pain seldom lasts more than a few seconds or a minute or two per episode. The intensity of pain can be physically and mentally incapacitating. TN pain is typically felt on one side of the jaw or cheek. Episodes can last for days, weeks, or months at a time and then disappear for months or years. In the days before an episode begins, some patients may experience a tingling or numbing sensation or a somewhat constant and aching pain.
  
  The presumed cause of TN is a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve in the head as it exits the brainstem. TN may be part of the normal aging process but in some cases it is the associated with another disorder, such as multiple sclerosis or other disorders characterized by damage to the myelin sheath that covers certain nerves. TN can be difficult to diagnose. Treatment options might include medicines such as anticonvulsants and tricyclic antidepressants, surgery, and complementary approaches.

• Lung and liver tumors
• Spine tumors and metastases
• Prostate tumors
• Pancreatic tumors

For more information about the Brain & Spine Tumor Center, please call (615) 222-4425 or 877-815-1860 (toll-free).

Take the Test: Brain Tumor Risk Factors

Answering yes to one or more of these questions doesn't mean that you will develop brain cancer, but your risk may be higher than average.

1. Have you received radiation therapy as treatment for cancer or other medical therapy?
2. Are you exposed or have you ever been exposed to large doses of radiation in your job or your environment?
3. Have you been diagnosed with von Hippel Lindau disease or neurofibromatosis type 2?

If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, you may want to consult your physician and become aware of important warning signs.