The specialists at the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center apply a team-based approach to the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer. Our unmatched brain tumor experts advance medicine with new research and technology to restore your quality of life.
If you have received a brain cancer diagnosis, our health care team will create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific type and grade of cancer and your personal lifestyle needs. We guide and support you every step of the way — from diagnosis through treatment and recovery.
Brain Cancer Symptoms
A brain tumor (a mass of abnormal cells) can start in the brain itself (a primary brain tumor) or spread from elsewhere in the body (a metastatic brain tumor). Although all brain cancers are tumors, not all brain tumors become brain cancers.
Primary tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous). Primary brain cancer rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
You can have brain cancer and not know it. Symptoms of brain tumors are varied and can be non-specific. As a brain tumor grows, it applies pressure to the brain. That pressure can cause headaches, the most common early symptom of a brain tumor.
See your doctor if you experience any new, persistent or unexplained symptoms such as:
- Changes in mental function, mood or personality
- Changes in pulse or breathing rates
- Headache
- Loss of balance or coordination, or difficulty walking
- Nausea or vomiting
- Numbness, tingling or paralysis in one part of the face or body
- Seizures
- Speech or communication difficulties
- Vision, hearing, smelling or breathing problems
The size and location of a brain tumor influences the severity and types of symptoms you experience. Brain cancer can cause symptoms that get worse quickly, sometimes in days or weeks.
Symptoms may instead be caused by something other than cancer. The only way to know what is causing a particular symptom is to see your doctor.
Types of Brain Cancers
Researchers have identified more than 150 different types of cancerous and noncancerous brain tumors. Brain tumors are categorized based on the types of cells they come from and where they occur. Neurologists and neurosurgeons at Houston Methodist specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of brain tumors such as:
Glioma
Making up about 33% of all brain tumors, glioma is the most common type of primary brain cancer in adults. It begins in the brain or spinal cord and affects glial cells, which surround nerve cells and help them to function properly.
Chordoma
Chordoma is a rare bone cancer that begins at the base of the skull. It develops from cells that are “left behind” as the spinal cord develops. It is often diagnosed at a later stage and has a high recurrence after removal.
Meningioma
Meningioma affects the delicate tissue that protects the brain and spinal cord and is the most common type of non-cancerous primary brain tumor. About 1.7% of meningioma are cancerous. These tumors grow slowly and cause indistinct symptoms, such as headaches or nausea. Other symptoms, like weakness or confusion, are sometimes overlooked as normal signs of aging.
Primary CNS Lymphoma
Primary CNS Lymphoma is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that starts in the cells of the lymphatic system, which is an important part of the immune system. Advanced, non-surgical treatment options — many of which are researched and developed at Houston Methodist — can offer effective treatment and a higher quality of life, with fewer long-term side effects.
Germ Cell Tumor
Representing only about 0.3-0.6% of primary adult brain tumors, a germ cell tumor is a rare cancer that originates from cells that did not become sperm or eggs. Germ cell tumors are diagnosed using imaging studies, spinal taps and/or blood tests.
Pineal-Region Tumor
Pineal-Region Tumor is a very rare type of cancer that forms deep within the brain and interferes with melatonin production. Common symptoms include balance issues, confusion, difficulty walking, headaches, nausea, visual changes and vomiting.
Why Choose Houston Methodist for Brain Cancer Care
Our multidisciplinary team, including some of the nation’s best oncologists, neurologists and neurosurgeons, provides world-class care with compassionate expertise. Oncology nurse navigators guide and support you through every stage of brain cancer care — from diagnosis through treatment and recovery.
Treating your individual cancer — so you can get back to your life.
Our approach to tumor diagnosis and treatment merges the latest advancements in medical science with one-on-one care. Oncologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and other specialists work together to develop and implement a unique care plan to treat your tumor as quickly and safely as possible.
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Innovative research and clinical trials lead to new treatment options for your cancer.
Our pioneering research and our many neurology clinical trials result in new therapies developed to cure cancer. Houston Methodist patients may access clinical trials offering potentially promising treatments not available to the public.
Ranked #18 in the Nation for Cancer
Houston Methodist Hospital is ranked No. 18 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for cancer.
Diagnosing Brain Cancer
Our neurologists are on the leading edge of advances in brain cancer diagnosis, offering new technologies to identify, diagnose and treat individual tumors based on genetic factors.
Most brain tumors are caused by genetic mutations that result in uncontrolled cell growth. Though some of these mutations can be identified with the latest technologies, many cannot.
Our experts use advanced physical, procedural and imaging techniques, including:
- Physical and neurological exam – checks your reflexes, control of facial movements, vision and level of awareness to gauge the impact of a suspected tumor on your brain function
- Biopsy – a procedure to remove and test a small amount of tissue to determine whether it is a tumor and examine its genetic makeup
- Computed tomography (CT) scan – a combination of X-ray images that create a detailed, cross-sectional image of the brain
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam – uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed images of the brain and body to determine whether or how far a brain tumor has spread
If we detect a tumor, we complete an in-depth study starting with your genetic profile. Your doctor will schedule additional tests to learn more about the tumor and determine whether it is cancerous.
Customized Brain Cancer Treatments
We are committed to providing superior outcomes, from diagnosis through treatment and recovery. The board-certified neurosurgeons at Houston Methodist are specially trained with expertise in managing the full spectrum of diseases of the brain.
If you receive a brain cancer diagnosis, your oncology care team tailors your specific treatment plan to the unique characteristics of your type and grade of brain cancer and your lifestyle.
After treatment, your doctor and team may prescribe you speech or physical therapy to relearn skills impacted by the tumor, if necessary. Your treatment is ongoing, and our team remains by your side long after your primary treatment to improve your chances for a full recovery.
Surgery
Radiation TherapyWe offer the latest advancements in radiation therapy, including focused high-energy beams, stereotactic radiosurgery and implants. Novalis® radiosurgery delivers a non-invasive, focused radiation to treat cancer.
ChemotherapyDrug pump inhibitors use nanosyringes to trap the chemotherapy drug inside the cancer cells, which kills the cancer cells. This attacks one of the main ways in which a tumor becomes resistant to chemotherapy, therefore making the chemotherapy much more effective at a much lower dose.
Houston Methodist researchers developed a chemotherapy drug that selectively targets and destroys the DNA inside the glioblastoma cell mitochondria (the energy factory of the cancer cell) leaving normal cells intact. These brain tumor “smart bombs,” are the first reported selective mitochondrial chemotherapy for glioblastoma.
Gene & Targeted Drug TherapiesTargeted therapeutic drugs often pinpoint specific mutations or proteins involved in the growth and survival of cancer cells.