Central Nervous System Cancer

An adult central nervous system tumor is a disorder in which abnormal cells grow in the brain and spinal cord tissues. Tumors are created by abnormal cell growth and can begin in various brain areas or the spinal cord. Glioblastoma multiforme is the most prevalent type of central nervous system cancer.

Central Nervous System Cancer Treatment Options

Chemotherapy

The most often used treatment for nervous system cancer is chemotherapy. We'll administer the medications through your veins. The drugs will subsequently enter your bloodstream and move throughout your body. Chemotherapy is administered in cycles, each followed by a rest period.

Radiation Therapy

We may also recommend combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy for more efficient results. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells while ensuring minimal damage to the adjacent ones. The radiation is delivered by massive equipment that directs photon beams at the tumor in the belly.

Steroid therapy

The use of corticosteroids to treat various cancers is referred to as steroid treatment. It’s anti-inflammatory and relieves most central nervous system lymphoma symptoms.

Whole-brain radiation therapy

Whole-brain radiation therapy is a palliative treatment for patients with brain metastases that relieves symptoms, reduces the need for corticosteroids to manage tumor-associated edema, and may increase the overall survival rate in nervous system cancer patients.

High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant

This treatment method combines greater doses of chemotherapy (chemo) with a transplant to replenish the bone marrow stem cells destroyed by the chemo. It is frequently used in children with high-risk neuroblastoma, which other therapies cannot cure.

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Office Locations

Tate Cancer Center

305 Hospital Dr, 2nd Floor
Glen Burnie, MD 21061

(410) 849-6617

8:00 AM ~ 4:30 PM (M-F)

Columbia Cancer Center

5450 Knoll N. Dr, Suite 140
Columbia, MD 21045

(410) 834-0987

8:00 AM ~ 4:30 PM (M,T,T,F)
Wednesday - Closed

Annapolis

129 Lubrano Drive, Suite 201 Conte Building II Annapolis, MD 21401

(410) 573-0090

8:00 AM ~ 4:30 PM (M-F)

Eastern Shore

130 Love Point Rd, Suite 105
Stevensville, MD 21666

(410) 573-0090

8:00 AM ~ 4:30 PM(M-F)

Frequently Asked Questions for Central Nervous System Cancer

Adult brain and spinal cord cancers do not have a standard staging scheme. Staging refers to the process of determining if cancer has progressed to other sections of the brain or other body parts. Brain tumors that start in the brain usually do not spread to other body regions, and there is no uniform staging method.

Different types of brain and spinal cord tumors include:

Astrocytes Tumors
An astrocytic tumor originates in astrocytes, star-shaped brain cells that help maintain healthy nerve cells. A glial cell is a kind of astrocyte. Glial cells can sometimes become tumors known as gliomas.
Oligodendroglia Tumors
An oligodendroglia tumor originates in oligodendrocytes, which are brain cells that assist in maintaining nerve cells healthy. A glial cell is an oligodendrocyte. Oligodendrogliomas are tumors formed by oligodendrocytes.
Mixed Glioma
A mixed glioma is a form of brain tumor containing oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. An oligoastrocytoma is a form of mixed tumor.
Ependyma Tumors
The cells that line the fluid-filled areas in the brain and surrounding the spinal cord are where an ependymal tumor normally develops. An ependymal tumor is also known as an ependymoma.
Medulloblastomas
Medulloblastoma is an embryonal tumor. Medulloblastomas are more frequent in children and adolescents.
Pineal Parenchyma Tumors
A pineal parenchymal tumor develops in the parenchymal cells or pinacocytes that make up the majority of the pineal gland. These tumors are not the same as pineal astrocytic tumors.
Meninges Tumors
A meningeal tumor, commonly known as a meningioma, develops in the meninges (thin layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord). It can develop from several types of brain or spinal cord cells. Adults are the most commonly affected by meningiomas.
Germ Cell Tumors
Germ cell tumors arise in the cells that mature into sperm in males and ova (eggs) in women. Various types of germ cell tumors can be benign or malignant.

The most common types of brain tumors are:

Metastatic
Metastatic brain tumors are the most frequent type of brain tumor in adults. They are classed as secondary brain tumors because they develop from cancer that began elsewhere in the body and migrated to the brain.
Meningioma
Since they grow in the meninges, which are the membranes that border the skull and spinal canal, these tumors are not really brain tumors. However, they can affect the brain, causing damage to nerves, and are the second most common type of tumor.
Glioblastoma
Despite being the third most frequent kind of brain tumor, glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor, which begins in the brain. It's also the most dangerous.
Astrocytoma
The grade of astrocytoma tumors varies, indicating their level of malignancy and aggressiveness. Some develop slowly (Grade II), while others grow more aggressively (Grade III).

Central Nervous System Cancer in Maryland