Brain Cancer
Why choose us for brain cancer care?
Malignant brain tumors (also called brain cancer) can affect your health and body functions in significant ways. However brain cancer impacts your life, Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center , offers leading expertise and resources to support you throughout treatment.
Our team includes nationally recognized experts with fellowship training in neurosurgery and neuro-oncology. Few centers in South Texas have this level of expertise. Our research program allows you to access some of today’s leading brain cancer treatments, including clinical trials, close to home.
Find out more about our neuro-oncology (brain tumor) program.
What you need to know about brain cancer
- A brain tumor can consist of benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancer) cells. Noncancerous masses are benign brain tumors. Cancerous tumors are also called brain cancer.
- Primary malignant brain tumors start growing inside the brain. A metastatic brain tumor (also called a brain metastasis) is cancer that develops somewhere else (like the breast or lungs) and spreads to the brain.
- There are many types of brain tumors. Each acts and affects you in different ways. We have a team of doctors who focus on treating brain and spinal tumors. This focus means they see more brain cancer cases than many doctors and offer a high level of expertise.
- We deliver precise care for all types of brain cancer. This includes rare tumors like ganglioglioma, which develops from multiple types of nerve cells in the brain.
- We are active in brain tumor research. Our physician-scientists participate in a nationwide network of clinical trials while leading research studies in our laboratories. These efforts help us provide hope and additional treatment options. We offer clinical trial opportunities for eligible patients with all phases of brain cancer, including brain metastases.
How to talk to your doctor about brain cancer
There’s no right or wrong way to react to a brain cancer diagnosis. You can trust our team to provide the information you need to understand your diagnosis. We also offer multiple layers of support as you navigate the road ahead.
We take the time to detail your treatment options, including how any clinical trials you may be eligible for might enhance your treatment. We encourage you to express any questions or concerns with us at any point.
You might want to ask your doctor about:
- Additional testing, if any, you may need to guide diagnosis or treatment
- Cancer type, including the type of brain tumor and whether (or where) it has spread
- Treatment options, including what to expect if your doctor recommends surgery and clinical trial treatments for which you may be eligible
- Support services, including resources that can help you manage physical or emotional difficulties you experience
We consider what’s important to you before making treatment recommendations. We encourage you to bring family or loved ones with you to appointments, should that help you make care decisions.
Types
We treat all types of malignant brain tumors. Gliomas are the most common type of malignant cancer to start in the brain in adults. Gliomas develop from glial cells in the brain.
Glioma cancers include:
- Glioblastoma mostly occurs in older age. It often grows and spreads quickly.
- Astrocytoma is the most common type of glioma brain tumor. It develops from star-shaped cells in the brain called astrocytes.
- Oligodendroglioma often grows slowly and may affect younger adults in their 20s and 30s.
- Ependymoma is a rarer tumor that usually grows slower than other types.