| Northwestern Memorial Hospital provides a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of tumors of the brain and spine. Specialists in the areas of neurological surgery, neurology, radiation oncology, neuroradiology, neuropathology, neuroendocrinology, physiatry and psychiatry are members of this multidisciplinary group. Every neuro-oncology case is discussed in a formal case management conference and a treatment decision rendered. Conventional and experimental treatment protocols involving surgery, chemotherapy and radiosurgery are available. The Northwestern Neuro-oncology Center is composed of two main clinical subdivisions: the Brain Tumor Center and the Spine Tumor Center. Please click on each link for a complete description of resources and services.
According to data from the Central Brain Tumor Registry, approximately 20,000 new primary brain tumors are diagnosed in the United States every year; of these, about one half are malignant. Brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer in children and young adults up to age 34. The incidence of brain tumors is increasing, especially among the elderly, and the reasons are unclear. Only 37 percent of males and 52 percent of females survive five years following a diagnosis of primary benign or malignant brain tumors. In addition to primary brain tumors, approximately 150,000 secondary or metastatic brain tumors are diagnosed every year; most of these originate from the lung, breast, cutaneous melanoma, and kidney. Current treatment for brain and spinal cord tumors include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy alone or in combination. Because brain tumors frequently involve critical areas that control our cognition, senses, movement, or memory, a complete surgical resection is often not possible. While a complete tumor resection appears ideal, all existing reports seem to suggest that malignant brain tumors are not curable by surgical intervention alone. For this reason, basic science laboratory experiments aimed at a better understanding of tumor cell biology as well as clinical trials with new chemotherapy agents alone or in combination with radiation therapy are paramount to the effort to find cures for our patients. For further information or to schedule a consultation, please call (312) 695-8143.
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