The University of Minnesota Neuro-Oncology Program offers conventional and investigational treatments for patients with benign and malignant brain tumors.
Conventional treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
This operating room contains an MRI scanner which allows the neurosurgeon to monitor the progress of the surgery and measure the extent of the brain tumor resection during the operation. 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery. All of these forms of radiation are designed to diminish the side effects of therapy by decreasing the amount of normal brain in the treatment field. Numerous chemotherapy protocols are available which are tailored to the patient s individual needs and are selected based on their ability to tolerate the treatment. These treatment regimens vary from oral drugs given on a daily basis all the way to opening the blood-brain barrier under general anesthesia and administering the chemotherapy directly to the tumor.