| Chemotherapy as an option |
| Written by Jack Moore | |
Brain Tumor Chemotherapy: What Happens?Brain tumor chemotherapy is one of several options your doctor will use to treat your brain tumor. A tumor is a lump of tissue that is made up of cells that are abnormal. These cells can be cancerous (malignant) or non cancerous (benign) and will be treated as such. In those cases when brain tumors are determined to be cancerous or cancer like, the doctor will likely develop a treatment option that includes chemotherapy. While very difficult and often times painful, this method of treating cancer is effective when used as part of an overall plan.SurgeryIf your doctor determines that you have a brain tumor that is cancerous, it is nearly always important that the doctor work to determine if surgery is possible. Removing tumors is almost always important because chemotherapy and radiation do not work to remove the tumors well. Brain tumor surgery is generally necessary because it will allow the doctor to remove nearly all of the cancer like cells that are in the tumor and many of those that are found in the nearby tissue. Yet, surgery is rarely enough, either, in patients that have cancerous brain tumors.That is because a cancer type of brain tumor will attack the brain. The non cancerous form does not do this and therefore can be removed without any worry about the existing brain tissue. But, with cancerous tumors, doctors can often times not remove all of the infected tissue of the brain. Therefore, additional treatment options are necessary. This is why brain tumor treatments often include follow up help after the surgery that often times includes chemotherapy and radiation. Together, these three things can work to help stop the ongoing development of cancer in this region of the body. If you feel that you have signs of a brain tumor, it is important to seek out medical attention as soon as possible. This will allow your doctor as much time as possible to stop the ongoing development of cancerous cells. With the use of brain tumor chemotherapy after the surgery to remove the tumor has been successful, doctors can stop the ongoing dividing of cancerous cells. As the cells multiply and divide over and over again, they further invade the tissue surrounding them. With the help of chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation therapy as well, doctors can stop that from happening and therefore stop the cancer from spreading through the body. Brain tumor chemotherapy often is difficult and will cause a number of side effects. Like any form of chemotherapy, it becomes essential that the body be given the best possible chance at survival, which means often killing off many of the cells in the area through this treatment. The job of the chemotherapy for brain tumors is two fold. First, it must kill off any of the cells that have been left behind after the surgery to remove the tumor that are cancerous. Secondly, it must keep the remaining cells in a non dividing state for a long as possible. Chemotherapy is effective at doing both. Unfortunately, though, chemotherapy is not enough treatment for curing the tumors themselves. This is because the cells get into the surrounding brain tissue and therefore can not be removed fully by chemotherapy. Additionally, brain tumor cancerous cells are often somewhat resistant to chemotherapy. Therefore, the process must involve both chemotherapy and surgery if the patient is to overcome the condition. Doctors have developed very successful methods of overcoming brain tumors and often times; brain tumor chemotherapy is part of the process. Though it has side effects that are intense, it is one of the best methods to keep brain cancer in remission. |
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