Brain And Spine Tumors Specialist

What is a spinal tumor?

A spinal tumor develops within your spinal canal or in the bones of the spine. There are two main types of brain tumors:

• Intradural tumor: occurs in the spinal cord or the covering of the spinal cord
• Vertebral tumor: affects the bones of the spine

What are the symptoms of a spinal tumor?

The most common early symptom of a spinal tumor is severe back pain, which can then spread to your hips, legs, and feet. Other symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Decreasing sensitivity to pain, heat, and cold
• Difficult walking
• Muscle weakness or loss of sensation
• Pain at the site of the tumor or growth

How do you treat brain and spinal tumors?

Dr. Casas is committed to finding the most effective treatments of brain and spinal tumors. To do so, he offers his patients a comprehensive program that includes care by oncologists and radiation oncologists.

Spinal tumors

Dr. Casas monitors your symptoms to make sure they don’t worsen. The more vigilant you can be about the spread of symptoms and tumors, the higher the chances of avoiding life-threatening consequences.

Surgery may be required to extract the tumor. Dr. Casas makes sure to suggest a surgical procedure with the least amount of risks for the overall health of your spinal cord.

Brain tumors

Brain-tumor treatments include, but are not limited to:

• Radiotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Tumor-treating devices

If you need answers about symptoms you may be experiencing, contact Dr. Casas today by phone or online to find out whether you are suffering from a brain or spinal tumor.

Facts about Brain Tumors:

1. A brain tumor, known as an intracranial tumor, is an abnormal mass of tissue in which cells grow and multiply uncontrollably.
2. More than 150 different brain tumors have been documented, but the two main groups of brain tumors are termed primary and metastatic..
3. About 1 in 4 patients with cancer will develop tumors that spread to the central nervous system (CNS), most commonly through the blood stream to the brain. Tumors that often spread to the brain include those originating in the lung, kidney (renal cell carcinoma) or breast, and also melanoma. *
4. Metastatic tumors to the brain affect an estimated 150,000 people a year.
5. Up to 40 percent of people with lung cancer will develop metastatic brain tumors. In the past, the outcome for patients diagnosed with these tumors was very poor, with typical survival rates of just several weeks.
6. More sophisticated diagnostic tools, in addition to innovative surgical and radiation approaches, have helped survival rates expand up to years; and also allowed for an improved quality of life for patients following diagnosis.

At Comprehensive NeuroSpine, treatment for brain tumors is based on many factors, such as:

• Your age, overall health, and medical history
• The type, location, and size of the tumor
• How likely the tumor is to spread or re-occur
• Your body’s tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies

Dr. Casas may prescribe the following treatment for your symptoms which may include:

• Antiseizure/Antiepileptic Drugs
• Steroids
• Surgery

Often, low-grade tumors (grade I and II), which are not aggressive, are treated with watchful monitoring or surgery alone. Though all tumors are monitored with repeat scans, grade II tumors are watched more closely after surgery and over time to make sure there is no recurrence.

Higher grade tumors (grade III and IV), which are malignant and can grow quickly, are more difficult to remove and require additional treatments beyond surgery, such as radiation, chemotherapy, or a clinical trial if one is available.

All treatments, therefore, are intended to prolong and improve life for as long as possible.

For more information visit: www.aans.org or www.braintumors.org