At Fox Chase Cancer Center, our multidisciplinary medical team works closely to accurately diagnose brain and spinal tumors and help you understand your options so that you can make an informed decision about your treatment.
As a regional and national leader in cancer care, Fox Chase has a wealth of experience treating all types of brain and spinal cancer.
Our multispecialty brain and spinal tumor team meets regularly to review patient cases and map out a personalized treatment plan. We strive to treat your cancer in the least invasive way possible using innovative surgical techniques and combination therapies that give you the best chance of a successful outcome.
Our doctors are also actively involved in developing new therapies for treating brain and spinal tumors. Through clinical trials, we are able to offer our patients access to promising treatments and experimental therapies that may not be available elsewhere. Ask your Fox Chase doctor if a clinical trial is right for you.
Your Treatment Options
Treatment for brain and spinal tumors depends on the stage, type and grade of your tumors, as well as your age, health history and personal goals. Your personalized treatment plan will be created after consultations with multiple physicians within our multidisciplinary team and may include a combination of one or more of the following treatment options:
Surgery
Surgery may be used to sample tumor tissue for pathologic analysis. Surgical resection can also be a component of treatment or may play a role in alleviating symptoms. Our surgeons work toward maximal safe resection, which recognizes that the best results and quality of life are achieved when a patient’s neurologic function is preserved.
Radiation Therapy
The radiation oncologists at Fox Chase Cancer Center specialize in treating brain and spinal tumors using the latest radiation therapies. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells and may be given in combination with chemotherapy if you are unable to tolerate surgery or in combination with chemotherapy and surgery for patients with invasive cancer.
We offer:
- Stereotactic radiation radiosurgery (using the Cyberknife platform)
- Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
- Image-guided radiation therapy
- 3D conformal radiotherapy
- CT- and MR-based simulation
- Alternating electric/tumor-treating fields
Fox Chase offers alternating or tumor- treating electric field therapy delivered by the NovoCure platform for appropriately selected patients with brain tumors.
Systemic Therapy
The medical oncologists at Fox Chase Cancer Center are regional and national leaders in the treatment of brain and spinal tumors. As part of the multidisciplinary team, your medical oncologist will help to determine your personalized treatment plan, which may include systemic therapies such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy either as standard of care or as part of a clinical trial.
Clinical Trials
Fox Chase Cancer Center actively participates in a number of clinical trials for patients with primary brain or spinal tumors. In addition to receiving excellent care, our patients also benefit from the groundbreaking research that we do to expand our understanding of new brain and spinal cancer therapies and treatments. We encourage eligible patients to participate in clinical trials that are available and appropriate for their stage and type of cancer.
