Brain Cancer Treatment
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A brain cancer diagnosis brings on lots of questions. You're anxious and want guidance on what to do next.
When you choose UVA Health for brain cancer treatment, you get expert care from a deeply experienced team that understands your challenges. We don't just treat your brain tumor. We care for you as a whole person.
Brain Cancer Treatment at UVA Health
Brain tumors account for only 1-2% of all cancer. That means most oncologists have little experience treating and managing it. But our neuro-oncologists only see patients with brain tumors. They're up to date on standard and experimental treatment options.
Along with expert surgeons and oncologists, your care team includes experienced nurses, social workers, nutritionists, and more. You'll have access to clinical trials and a team of neuro-oncologists who focus only on brain tumors.
Our program is part of UVA Cancer Center, Virginia's first comprehensive cancer center. The National Cancer Institute awards this designation to cancer centers that demonstrate leadership in cancer prevention, diagnosis, care, and research.
Brain Cancers We Treat
- Astrocytomas
- Brain metastases
- Brain stem gliomas
- Chordoma
Ependymomas
- Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)
- Hemangioblastomas
- Mixed glioma
Optic nerve gliomas
- Primary CNS lymphoma
- Primitive neuroectodermal (PNET)
- Subependymoma
Brain Cancer Treatments
Personalized Therapies
We don't just treat your tumor. We find the best treatment method for your specific tumor.
We do this with molecular cytogenetics. This scientific method shows which of your cells are normal and which are cancer-causing at a very precise level. We can then tell which brain tumors will respond best to chemotherapy, gene therapy, or other therapies.
Safer Tumor Removal
We have high-tech tools that help us surgically remove difficult, hard-to-get tumors with accuracy and less risk. These include:
- A GPS-like system that maps the safest, best route to the tumor in your brain
- Brain scans in a special operating room that result in fast, accurate neurosurgery
Tumor Removal Without Surgery
Effective, proven, and safe, these powerful treatments can treat your brain tumor fast and without surgery:
- Focused, painless radiation with Gamma Knife
- Electrodes that stop tumor growth with Optune
Life-Saving Care for Brain Tumors
Debbie came to UVA Health for a chance to live — and to have the baby she’d always wanted.
Carter? Here, baby. There was a time and I never thought having a brain tumor I'd be able to be a mom. Here we go. Good to the last bite.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
It was August 2006. I was having a normal day at work and suddenly I started not feeling well.
Come here, baby.
The doctor sent me to the emergency room. And the oncologist on call comes and apparently asks me what my name was and I said it was Debbie. And he said what's your last name? And I said Debbie.
Here we go.
I was in the emergency room about four hours. And I stopped talking.
I don't exactly remember being told the diagnosis, but at some point, he told me he was going to send me to Charlottesville.
I came to medicine from a humanities background where studying languages is really about studying communication. And you know, it's an acquired skill to be able to listen to patients.
When I found out I was going to have to go through chemo, I knew I always wanted to have a baby. And even though I wasn't married at the time, I still wanted to preserve my fertility and Dr. Schiff understood and we waited.
Being a mother was something she had always dreamt of and that was clearly a priority for her, so we worked with her to make sure we preserved her fertility and it was successful. It's my belief that brain tumor patients who face such a devastating diagnosis deserve the very best clinical care. And fortunately, we are seeing more and more long-term survivors. But I think the ability to allow or help people to do things that they didn't dream would be possible has always seemed like a special calling to me.
17 doctors and almost eight years. I love UVA and I don't even know if there's an equivalent practice in Richmond. I don't even know. I haven't looked. I have no reason to look. I'm not going to look. Because it's one-on-one individual treatments geared towards you and you know I feel like I'm their only patient.
And I don't mind getting in the car and making a short drive to Charlottesville. I have a lot of trust in Dr. Schiff and his treatment options. I just told John last night that I want to be here when Carter was 10, 15, and 20, and beyond. So I will carry on. I just think it's a miracle he's here. I call him my miracle baby. He just, he's perfect and he's mine.
[LAUGHS]
Are you jumping? Jumping, jumping, jumping. Jumping, jumping, jumping.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Brain Cancer Diagnosis? Get a Second Opinion
It's common to seek a second opinion for a serious illness, especially if:
- You've just been diagnosed
- Your condition or diagnosis has changed
- You face a new treatment plan or surgery
Learn about getting a second opinion.
Find Support
We offer a variety of support services for patients with brain tumors, including neuropsychology, individual counseling, support groups, and more.
Read more about our support services.
Brain Tumors That Aren't Cancer
Not all brain tumors are cancer. Benign brain tumors, including pituitary tumors, still need experienced care. Learn about your options for benign brain tumor treatment.
