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Mayo Clinic is one of the world's leading brain tumor treatment and research centers. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked No. 1 in Neurology and Neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report.
More than 80 experienced and highly trained doctors on the brain tumor treatment team care for more than 4,000 adults and children each year who have brain and other nervous system tumors.
World-renowned brain tumor specialists from neurology, neurosurgery, radiology, neuropathology, radiation therapy, medical oncology, psychology, and brain rehabilitation work together to deliver the best treatment options for each patient. What might take months to accomplish in other settings can be done in days in Mayo Clinic's efficient system.
Mayo doctors and scientists are active in the latest research on brain tumors. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is the only multisite national cancer center and one of only four cancer centers to receive a National Cancer Institute-sponsored Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant for brain cancer research. Patients at Mayo have access to new research through Mayo's participation in cooperative clinical trials networks, including the North Central Cancer Treatment Group.
If brain tumor symptoms are present, doctors perform a neurological exam to check vision, hearing, balance, coordination and reflexes. MRI is the most sensitive test for identifying brain tumors. An examination of tissue by a pathologist is required to definitely diagnose the kind of tumor present. Read more about brain tumor diagnosis.
The two main treatments for metatstatic brain tumors at Mayo Clinic are radiation and surgery. If a patient has a single metastasis and that tumor can be removed surgically, the doctor will likely advise surgery. After surgery, radiation is often needed. Learn more about metastatic brain tumor treatment.
Metastatic brain tumors result from cancer that started elsewhere in the body and spread (metastasized) to the brain. For example, if lung cancer has spread to the brain, the cells in the tumor would look like lung cells rather than brain cells. Metastases to the brain are the most common intracranial tumors in adults, 10 times more common than primary brain tumors.
Lung cancer metastasis
Brain metastases occur in 20 percent to 40 percent of adults with cancer. Most metastatic brain tumors are from cancers of the lung or breast, but almost any tumor can spread to the brain. These malignant (cancerous) brain tumors can grow rapidly, crowding or destroying nearby brain tissue.
Substantial advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of metastatic brain tumors, improving survival and symptom control. Many brain tumors can be successfully treated with one or more methods. In addition, new technology enables physicians to target tumors more precisely, while innovative treatments under investigation offer hope for the future.
Learn more about treatment of brain tumors at Mayo Clinic.
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