The treatment of brain tumors has dramatically changed over the past few decades. Although many benign tumors can be treated with surgery alone, it is all too frequent that we encounter malignant tumors that cannot be cured with surgery alone. This is one of the greatest challenges in all of medicine.
The initial goal is to properly diagnose the tumor before surgery is even contemplated. Recent advances in the field of MRI have made this possible in a way that was never thought possible before. Today, MRI technology allows a physician to view details of the structure and function of the surrounding brain. This further facilitates the physician’s visualization of the wiring of the brain (white matter), including the individual tracts. In addition, functional MRI helps physicians localize speech and other functions. These advances help physicians plan safer surgery plans.
With advanced technologies such as image guidance, a GPS-like system, surgeons can pinpoint the patient’s abnormality. While in surgery to remove a tumor, thanks to these advanced technologies, today’s surgeons can even set up MRI images so they appear in the eye piece of an advanced microscope — an incredible surgical aid.
Once the tumor has been removed, a pathologist can use recent advances in genetic and molecular medicine to determine how that tumor may behave relevant to certain chemotherapy agents and even radiation treatments. This advancement allows physicians to personalize the patient’s treatment. In addition, current studies are being conducted to evaluate the potential use of tumor vaccines and other types of immunotherapy for a particularly aggressive type of tumor called a glioblastoma.
New research, studies and advances in technology will help to decrease the prevalence of brain tumors as well as the surgical success rate.
Medulloblastoma/embryonal/primitive tumors represent 1% of all primary brain tumors.