Metastatic Brain Tumor Treatment in New York
Our New York metastatic brain tumor doctors review your case with the oncology team, matching treatment to your cancer and how far it has spread.
What counts as a metastatic brain tumor ?
A metastatic brain tumor is cancer that starts in another part of the body, like the lung, breast, skin, kidney, or bowel, and spreads to the brain. These deposits are also called brain metastases. There are often more than one, and each one behaves like the cancer it came from. That is why finding the source guides the whole treatment plan.
Our New York team reviews your case together with your oncologist. A neurosurgeon, a radiation oncologist, and your medical oncologist assess the same scans, so they can treat the deposits in the brain and the cancer in the rest of the body as one problem.
See how it is treated
Metastatic brain tumor symptoms
Symptoms vary based on the location of a deposit and the extent of surrounding swelling. Certain patterns warrant prompt attention.
A headache that has changed
A new kind of headache, different from your usual one, often worse in the morning or when you cough, strain, or bend.
A first seizure
Any first seizure in an adult requires urgent evaluation, regardless of whether there is a known cancer diagnosis.
Weakness or numbness on one side
New weakness, numbness, or clumsiness down one side of the body, sometimes appearing gradually over days.
Confusion or memory change, often noticed by family
Changes in memory, confusion, or new unsteadiness that family members notice first may indicate swelling in the brain.
What causes cancer that has spread to the brain ?
Brain metastasis originates from cancer in another part of the body. A few primary cancers are responsible for the majority of these cases.
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01
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is the most common origin of tumors that spread to the brain.
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02
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is the second most common source of brain metastases.
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Melanoma
A type of skin cancer that has a notable tendency to metastasize to the brain, even from a localized primary site.
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Kidney and colorectal cancers
Kidney and bowel cancers frequently metastasize to the brain.
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A primary that has not been found yet
A brain deposit can sometimes be the initial sign, and identifying the source is an essential part of the evaluation, which we coordinate here with oncology.
How is a metastatic brain tumor diagnosed?
History and exam
We will ask about your cancer history and current symptoms, and then evaluate your strength, sensation, balance, and thinking to identify any areas of concern.
Scans of the whole body first
Before deciding on brain surgery, we will conduct imaging of the rest of your body and have discussions with your oncology team. The status of your disease will decide the best treatment approach for your brain.
Team review with oncology
A neurosurgeon, a radiation oncologist, and your medical oncologist will discuss the case together, evaluating the brain deposits alongside the cancer.
Your plan, explained in plain language
You will leave with a clear understanding of whether the plan involves radiosurgery, radiation, medication, surgery, or observation, and how it aligns with your cancer care.
Metastatic brain tumor treatment, from conservative care to surgery
Treatment is based on the number, size, and location of the deposits, as well as the primary cancer. Radiosurgery, radiation, medication, and surgery each help in the treatment plan.
Non-surgical treatment, planned with oncology
Typically the primary treatment
- Stereotactic radiosurgery for one or several deposits.
- Whole-brain radiation in selected situations.
- Systemic and targeted therapy, including treatments that reach the brain.
- Medication to reduce swelling and control seizures.
Surgery, for a deposit that needs removing
Chosen for a single deposit that is causing symptoms or pressure
- Craniotomy to remove a single deposit that is symptomatic or causing pressure.
- Surgery to relieve pressure where a deposit is causing rapid decline.
- Biopsy where the source of the cancer is not yet known.
- Treatment of hydrocephalus when fluid builds up.
When it cannot wait: a first seizure, a sudden severe headache unlike any before, repeated vomiting with headache, fast-rising drowsiness or confusion, or sudden weakness or loss of speech. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department at once.
Doctors who treat Metastatic Brain Tumors in New York
Our neurosurgeons work closely with radiation and medical oncology, with academic-level training, caring for patients throughout the New York metro area.
