When the whole brain is treated, the patient often receives an extra dose of radiation to the area of the tumor. This boost can come from external radiation or from an implant. Stereotactic radiosurgery is another way to treat brain tumors. Doctors use the techniques described in the Surgery section to pinpoint the exact location of the tumor. In this way, a high dose of radiation reaches the tumor without damaging other brain tissue.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.
The doctor may use just one drug or a combination, usually giving the drugs by mouth or by injection into a blood vessel or muscle. Intrathecal chemotherapy involves injecting the drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid. Patients often do not need to stay in the hospital for treatment. Most drugs can be given in the doctor's office or the outpatient clinic of a hospital. However, depending on the drugs used, the way they are given, and the patient's general health, a short hospital stay may be necessary.