The brain tumor team of neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, pathologists and radiation oncologists at Mischer Neuroscience Institute will develop a treatment strategy for your individual needs. They may combine surgery with radiation therapy, medications and chemotherapy as part of an overall treatment plan.

Treatment Options

Techniques used to treat brain tumors include:

  • Leksell Gamma Knife® radiosurgery
  • Surgery using surgical microscopes
  • Minimally invasive neuroendoscopy
  • Motor and language mapping
  • Functional imaging techniques for localizing functional brain regions
  • Awake craniotomies under local anesthesia
  • Intracavitary chemotherapy for high-grade brain tumors
  • Microneurosurgical techniques
  • Tumor resection with motor and/or language mapping
  • Laser ablation

MNI acquired the region’s first Leksell Gamma Knife® in 1993, and is now using the more advanced Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion™.

Brain Imaging & Tumor Biopsies

Once initial evaluations are completed, patients may undergo neuroimaging such as an MRI, CT and/or PET scan.

Other diagnostic and therapeutic tools include:

  • Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
  • CT scan
  • MRI scan
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS)
  • Functional MRI (fMRI)
  • Selective cerebral angiography with pre-op tumor embolization
  • Frameless stereotactic navigation
  • Intraoperative neurophysiology
  • Intraoperative ultrasound guidance

Your neurologist may also suggest a biopsy in which a small sample of tissue is surgically removed from the suspected tumor and examined under a microscope for malignance. The results of the biopsy also provide information on the brain tumor cancer cell type.

Help During Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is often prescribed as a treatment for cancer, but what effects does it have on the brain and nervous system? Patients have reported difficulty in organizing thoughts, remembering information and reading comprehension. Some patients may experience chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), nerve damage in the nerves farthest away from the brain. And chemotherapy toxicity occurs when the drugs administered during the treatment become toxic to the body.

Learn More About Our Cancer Neurology Clinic »

Join Dr. Sigmund Hsu, Neuro-Oncologist at the Mischer Neuroscience Institute, as he discusses the neurological side effects of chemotherapy and how to cope post-treatment.

Partnership with Referring Physicians

Throughout the evaluation and treatment process, we keep referring physicians informed about patient progress, both in writing and by phone. After a patient's first office visit, these doctors will receive a summary that includes the initial diagnosis, pending tests and treatment options. A second follow-up report details surgical outcomes and post-op therapy.

Neuro Critical Care Unit

Neurointensivists and experienced mid-level practitioners staff our dedicated 28-bed Neuro Critical Care Unit around the clock, seven days a week, to provide ongoing intensive care to critically ill patients. The eICU®Advantage adds an extra layer of assurance for physicians by directly linking patients to an off-site team of specially trained board-certified intensivists and critical care nurses.

Contact Us

Please fill out the fields below, and we will contact you.

Thank
You!

Thank you for contacting Memorial Hermann. We have received your inquiry, and a team member will contact you soon.

If you need more immediate assistance, please call us at (713) 222-CARE.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.