Brain Cancer Treatment
There are many types of brain tumors, some are malignant (cancerous) while others are benign (not cancerous). Primary malignant brain tumors, those which begin in the brain, are relatively rare compared with more common metastatic brain tumors, which have migrated to the brain from a tumor elsewhere in the body.
Proton Therapy Treatment for Brain Cancer
With this variety in tumor type comes a broad spectrum of appropriate brain tumor treatments that can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination depending on the specific classification and aggressiveness of the tumor.
Radiation therapy is used to destroy cancer cells and prevent their regrowth. When treating brain tumors, it is especially important to treat the tumor and kill the cancer cells while protecting the healthy surrounding tissue. Proton therapy can be an excellent tool that physicians use to achieve this balance.
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
Now Available–Portable Treatment for Glioblastoma
Optune®, an FDA-approved brain cancer treatment for newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), is now available at Provision CARES Proton Therapy – Knoxville. Glioblastomas account for about 15% of all primary brain tumors. This portable and wearable device is the first FDA-approved therapy in more than a decade for newly diagnosed GBM. Optune is approved for the treatment of adult patients (22 years of age or older) with GBM. For newly diagnosed patients, Optune is used with the chemotherapy temozolomide (TMZ) after surgery and radiation with TMZ. For recurrent patients, it can be used alone when surgery and radiation treatment options have been exhausted. In a clinical trial, adding Optune to TMZ was proven to delay GBM tumor growth and extend survival in newly diagnosed patients compared with TMZ alone.
For more information about this device, go to Optune.com.
Request Information
For information or to schedule a consultation, contact us to speak with a Care Coordinator.
Partner With Us
For general information or to learn about our collaborative partnerships, future developments, ProNova proton therapy system, or investment opportunities, contact us.