In general brain tumors are treated with neurosurgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, but these are not the only treatment options. The choice of treatment depends on type, location and size of the tumor as well as the patient's age, general health and medical history. [1][2]
Neurosurgery aims for the complete resection of the tumor tissue. With radiation therapy the DNA of the brain tumor is damaged in order to archive apoptosis (cell dead within hours) or reproductive cell death (cell dead after a few generations). Chemotherapy blocks the ability of tumor cells to grow and divide e.g. by disrupting the normal function of the mitotic spindle by prohibiting the depolymerization of microtubules (important for cell division). [3][4][5][6]
- Surgical treatment methods
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy treatment
- Novel chemotherapy delivery options through BBB
- Alternating electric field therapy
- Photodynamic therapy
- Monoclonal antibody therapy
Bibliography
1) Brain Tumor Treatment, https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/brain_tumor/treatment.html (access 29/05/17)
2) Treatment Options, http://braintumor.org/brain-tumor-information/treatment-options/ (access 29/05/17)
3) Krieger H. (2007) Grundlagen der Strahlungsphysik und des Strahlenschutzes, 2. Auflage, Teubner: Wiesbaden
4) Hall E. J. (2000) Radiobiology for the Radiologist, Lippincott: Philadelphia, 5th ed.
5) Steel G. G. (2002) Basic Clinical Radiobiology, Arnold: London, 3rd ed.
6) How Is Chemotherapy Given?, http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/what-is-chemotherapy/how-chemotherapy-is-given.aspx (access 29/05/17)