Although brain tumors rarely spread to other parts of the body, most of them can spread through the brain tissue. Even so-called benign tumors can, as they grow, destroy and compress normal brain tissue, causing damage that is often disabling and sometimes fatal. For this reason, doctors usually speak of "brain tumors" rather than "brain cancers." The main concerns with brain tumors are how readily they spread through the rest of the brain or spinal cord and whether they can be removed and not come back.
The brain is the center of thought, feeling, memory, speech, vision, hearing, movement, and much more. The spinal cord and special nerves in the head called cranial nerves help carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body. These messages tell our muscles how to move, transmit information gathered by our senses, and help coordinate the actions of our internal organs.
Tumors in the brain and skull base can be cancerous or non-cancerous. Most tumors are treated with surgery alone or a combination of surgery – to remove as much of the tumor as possible – and radiation to eliminate the remaining cancerous tissues. Radiation alone may be used when surgery is not possible. Chemotherapy also is used in some cases.
Proton beam therapy is very effective for brain and base of skull tumors. Protons are positive parts of atoms. Unlike x-rays, which release energy both before and after they hit their target, protons cause little damage to tissues they pass through and then release their energy after traveling a certain distance. Doctors can use this property to deliver more radiation to the tumor and do less damage to nearby normal tissues, while protecting nearby normal brain structures to prevent new neurological deficits, hormonal deficiencies or intellectual impairment.
Proton beam therapy is very effective for Brain and base of skull tumors. Protons are positive parts of atoms. Unlike x-rays, which release energy both before and after they hit their target, protons cause little damage to tissues they pass through and then release their energy after traveling a certain distance. Doctors can use this property to deliver more radiation to the tumor and do less damage to nearby normal tissues, while protecting nearby normal brain structures to prevent new neurological deficits, hormonal deficiencies or intellectual impairment