Craniopharyngioma

Treatment

At Mayo Clinic, your treatment team partners with you and your family to create a treatment plan that's appropriate for your needs.

Surgery

Doctors recommend surgery for most craniopharyngiomas. Surgery is performed by an ENT head and neck surgeon and a neurosurgeon. Surgeons will take a sample of the tumor (biopsy) and send it to the laboratory for examination.

A pathologist confirms the diagnosis. Most craniopharyngiomas are noncancerous (benign) and surgery may be the only treatment necessary. For complex cases, doctors may recommend stereotactic radiosurgery or another surgical procedure.

Radiation therapy

Mayo Clinic cancer specialists in radiation therapy (radiation oncologists) are experienced in the full range of the latest radiation treatments, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). These advanced procedures help treat the cancer effectively while limiting radiation to critical normal tissues, such as the eyes, optic nerves, brain, brainstem and spinal cord.

Chemotherapy

If the craniopharyngioma recurs or is persistent, a medical oncologist may use drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given by mouth or infused into the vein.