Brain tumors are masses of abnormal cells that develop in the brain or structures and tissue surrounding it. There are over 150 different types of documented brain tumors but most tumors fall into two main categories, primary and metastatic. Primary brain tumors are tumors that originate in the brain tissue and can be benign or malignant. Every year, 35,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a tumor that started in the brain. Symptoms of a brain tumor can vary from headache to stroke depending on its size and location. A brain tumor can also mimic other neurological disorders so some of its symptoms might be indicative of other medical conditions. The best way to diagnose a brain tumor is by undergoing a neurological examination, including a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) MRI or computed tomography (CT) scan to determine if there is an abnormal growth in your brain tissue.
Metastatic tumors are cancerous growths that arise in other parts of the body and migrate to the brain, usually through the bloodstream. Nearly one in four patients with cancer, or an estimated 150,000 people a year, is diagnosed with a metastatic tumor. Historically, treatment outcomes for patients diagnosed with a metastatic brain tumor was very poor. The availability of sophisticated diagnostic tools along with innovative surgical techniques has increased survival rates to years instead of just a few weeks, improving the quality of life for brain tumor patients following diagnosis.
Cleveland Clinic Florida neurosurgeons are experts in the use of precision surgical navigation systems to safely remove many types of brain tumors once considered inoperable or risky due to their size or location in the brain. Our specialists offer minimally invasive innovative surgical approaches using the latest technology, such as Gamma Knife radiosurgery or the AutoLITT treatment procedures, to treat brain tumors. Intraoperative MRI technology is frequently used by our neurosurgeons during surgery to help see and direct the progress of tumor destruction as it happens, thereby increasing the likelihood that tumors will be completely removed.
The Department of Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida uses a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with a wide range of neurological conditions, including malignant and benign brain tumors. Take this opportunity to have your questions answered about the latest advancements in brain tumor surgery by Cleveland Clinic neurosurgeon Jose Valerio-Pascua, MD.
Jose Valerio-Pascua, MD is a neurosurgeon in the Department of Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida and also performs AutoLITT treatment procedures for recurrent glioblastomas at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. His areas of expertise include brain tumors, Gamma Knife surgery, minimally invasive brain tumor surgery and LASER Interstitial Thermo Therapy.
To make an appointment with Jose Valerio-Pascua, MD or any of the other specialists in the Department of Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida, please call 877.463.2010. You can also visit us online at www.clevelandclinicflorida.org
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