Your recent diagnosis of metastatic brain cancer has likely left you with many questions, including what to do next. Learning as much as you can about your condition and available treatment options in the northern New Jersey area is an excellent way to take an active role in your care during the treatment process. Doing so can provide a sense of control during this time, giving you confidence and peace of mind.
While every patient is different, it can be helpful to have a general understanding of metastatic brain cancer, and the methods used to treat it. This can give insight into why your doctor has recommended one treatment over another or if you are not at that stage yet, can better prepare you for next steps.
What is Metastatic Brain Cancer?
Metastatic brain cancer occurs when cancer cells spread from another site in the body to your brain. Unlike primary brain cancers, these tumors consist of cells from the initial cancer such as the lung breast or kidney. This means that your tumor is not made up of brain cells but is actually composed of cells from the original cancer.
Diagnosis of Brain Metastases
Diagnosing brain metastases involves a thorough medical assessment including MRI or CT scans to identity and locate tumors. When the metastatic brain cancer is discovered first, it may need to be biopsied, or sampled, to determine where it originated from. This is important because different types of cancer cells respond better to some treatment methods than others. Although chemotherapy and other systemic treatments are used to treat cancers, these are not typically treatment options for metastatic brain tumors.
Treatment for Metastatic Brain Cancer in New Jersey
Treatment for metastatic brain cancer in New Jersey is highly individualized, depending on factors such as the type of cancer, tumor size, and your overall health. However, all metastatic brain cancers require some form of radiation therapy, sometimes in combination with surgery.
Traditional Surgery
If your metastatic brain cancer is especially large or in an easily accessible area, your doctor may recommend surgical removal, or resection. However, if your tumor is in a delicate area of the brain, such as the portion responsible for forming and understanding speech, surgery may not be an option. There are other factors, too, such as smaller tumors or advanced age or complicating health conditions, that may rule out using a surgical approach.
Should your doctor recommend surgery, it will be followed by radiation therapy to ensure that all of the cancer cells have been destroyed. If a single cancer cell remains, it has the potential to regrow into a new tumor and the cancer could return.
Whole Brain Radiation Therapy
Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is the traditional form of radiation therapy for brain cancers and can be an effective treatment method for certain forms of metastatic brain cancer. However, it can result in unpleasant side effects. WBRT involves multiple sessions of low-dose radiation delivered to the entire brain. This means both cancerous and healthy tissues are affected, which is the primary downside to this type of treatment. Many of the side effects of WBRT occur because the healthy tissues are also damaged, which is why many doctors in northern New Jersey have come to prefer another form of radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery.
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
Steroetactic radiosurgery is the preferred method for treating metastatic brain tumors. Though it sounds like a surgical procedure, Gamma Knife radiosurgery is actually a form of stereotactic radiosurgery, an advanced form of radiation therapy that does not cause the same severe side effects as WBRT. This is because the Gamma Knife system precisely targets your tumor, while sparing the healthy surrounding brain, resulting in fewer treatments, fewer side effects and a quicker recovery.
Both Gamma Knife and WBRT take place in an outpatient setting, which means you will not be required to stay overnight. However, a key difference is the frequency of treatment sessions required to treat your metastatic brain cancer. While your treatment schedule will depend on your individual condition, many patients can be treated with a single Gamma Knife session, though some require up to five treatments. In contrast, many patients being treated with WBRT will need to undergo daily sessions, Monday through Friday, for two to three weeks.
Your Treatment Path
Understanding your treatment options is important for managing metastatic brain cancer. Discuss your options with your doctor as they can best explain what treatments are best for you based on your type the size. location and type of brain tumor.
As you move forward, continue to educate yourself about your condition. This will help you know what to expect as you begin treatment and move into recovery. Having confidence in your treatment plan and playing an active role throughout the process can help give you peace of mind regardless of which treatment method you will be undergoing in New Jersey.
