Brain Cancer and Metastases

Brain Tumors
Brain metastases or primary brain tumors (glioma)
Treatment options
Side effects of treatment

Brain metastases: cancer that started elsewhere in the body (e.g. lung or breast) and spread to the brain Brain primary: a normal brain cell (glial cell) becomes malignant and is called a glioma

Brain Function

The most common causes of brain metastases in adults with their approximate frequency are: Lung — 50 percent Breast — 15 to 20 percent Unknown primary 10 percent Melanoma — 10 percent Colon and rectum 5 percent The distribution of metastases roughly follows the relative weight of and blood flow to each area. Cerebral hemispheres — 80 percent Cerebellum — 15 percent Brain stem — 5 percent

SYMPTOMS OF BRAIN METASTASES Symptom Patients % Headache 42 Focal weakness 27 Mental change 31 Seizure 20 Gait ataxia 17 Sensory disturbance 6 Speech problems 10

Brain Imaging

Whole brain irradiation

Whole brain radiation

The response or benefit from whole brain radiation takes several weeks to months

Typical response for whole brain radiation

Typical response for whole brain radiation Small tumors may be gone completely by two months

Radio resistant cancer (renal cell) MRI appearance two months after whole brain radiation (small lesions gone and large lesion much smaller)

Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases

Typical time interval to regression after radiosurgery Cyberknife or Gamma Knife)

How often does brain radiation help?
70 -90% initial response
> 50% of symptoms of headache, CSF pressure have complete response
50 -60% have functional improvement
moderate dysfunction: 1/3 near normal at median time of 3 weeks
severe dysfunction: 2/3 improve at median of 1-2 weeks

Side Effects of Brain Radiation
Hair loss (usually takes two or three weeks to happen)
Mild skin itching or irritation
Short term more fatigue or slightly more confusion or memory problems
Mild headache or nausea is uncommon but may require medication (Decadron)
Occasionally hearing problems (fluid behind the ear drums)

Radiation prescription for # Diagnosis: # External radiation: # Internal radiation: #

Brain Cancer and Metastases

by Wellspring Oncology on Aug 03, 2009

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

2 Embeds 17

Statistics

Brain Cancer and Metastases — Presentation Transcript

http://www.slideshare.net	10
http://localhost	7