Brain & Spine Cancer

Memorial Hermann provides advanced treatment for patients with brain and spine cancer.

Affiliated physicians with the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, specially trained staff, and nurses offer leading cancer care personalized to meet the specific needs of each patient.

Brain Tumors

Surgeons affiliated with Memorial Hermann are skilled in the resection of a broad range of primary and metastatic brain tumors. Read More »

Neuroblastoma

Memorial Hermann offers five types of treatment are used for neuroblastoma. Read More »

Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Three types of treatment are used for primary CNS lymphoma:

• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Steroid therapy: Steroids are hormones made naturally in the body. They can also be made synthetically in a laboratory and used as drugs. Glucocorticoids are steroid drugs that have an anticancer effect on lymphomas.

Spinal Cord Tumors

The goal of treatment of spinal cord tumors, which should be given quickly, is to reduce or prevent nerve damage from pressure on the spinal cord.

The faster symptoms develop, the sooner treatment is needed to prevent permanent injury. Any new or unexplained back pain in a patient with cancer should be taken seriously.

Treatments may include:

• Corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and swelling around the spinal cord
• Surgery to relieve compression on the spinal cord
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Physical therapy may be needed to improve muscle strength and the ability to function independently.

Metastatic Cancer of the Brain and Spine (Cancers That Spread)

• Brain: The types of cancer that commonly spread to the brain are melanoma and cancer of the breast, colon, lung and unknown primary site.
• Spinal Cord: The types of cancer that commonly spread to the spinal cord are lymphoma and cancer of the lung, breast and prostate.

Causes of Metastatic Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

About half of metastatic brain and spinal cord tumors are caused by lung cancer. Leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancer may spread to the leptomeninges, the two innermost membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.

Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the type and stage of disease, and may include surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or a combination.

The technologically advanced instrumentation available at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center allows for the prognosis, diagnosis and removal of difficult tumors:

• Gamma Knife® Perfexion
• Frameless stereotactic navigation
• Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
• Functional MRI (fMRI)
• Tumor resection with motor and/or language mapping
• Intracavitary chemotherapy
• Intraoperative neurophysiology
• Intraoperative ultrasound guidance
• Microneurosurgical techniques
• Selective cerebral angiography with preoperative tumor embolization
• Computed tomography (CT)

We use the most advanced technology to help our patients fight cancer, including:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy

We use the most advanced technology to help patients fight cancer with less scarring, shorter recovery times and a quicker return to productivity. Our technologies include:

• Gamma Knife® Perfexion
• Trilogy Tx™ Linear Accelerator
• Intensity modulated radiation therapy
• Image-guided radiation therapy
• Stereotactic body radiation therapy

We offer 3-D treatment planning in which CT simulation leverages CT technology to provide the most accurate, highly conformal treatment planning for patients undergoing radiation therapy. The accuracy of the system ensures that radiation is targeted with the highest level of precision, ensuring delivery directly to the tumor and reducing exposure to normal tissue.

Mischer Neuroscience Associates and affiliated physicians with the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth provide ongoing intensive care to patients following brain and spine surgery with our state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Neurointensivists and experienced mid-level practitioners staff our dedicated Neuroscience Critical Care Unit at multiple Memorial Hermann Hospitals:

• Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center: 38 bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit
• Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center: 19 bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit/IMU
• Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital: 16 bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit
• Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center: 12 bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit

For Physicians: Refer a patient here »