A neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida, Dr. Badih Adaada has performed more than 4,000 brain procedures, Dr. Badih Adada also remains actively involved in training neurosurgeons on numerous topics, including brain tumors.
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to dealing with brain tumors. If this is a condition you or a loved one is facing, or have faced in the past, here are three common myths to be aware of when considering treatment options.
Myth: Surgery for removal of brain tumors is dangerous.
Recent advances in surgical technics have made surgical removal of brain tumors very safe. Typically patients are expected to be hospitalized for a few days postoperatively and are discharged home with no new neurological deficits .
Myth: Brain radiation is not a good treatment option.
It has historically been true that whole brain radiation has not been the preferred method of treatment for brain tumors. There are risks of damaging the cognitive processes, but there is also new research being conducted that looks at the way brain radiation impacts those areas and how to prevent that damage. Brain radiation may not be best for every patient, but it should be evaluated on a case-to-case basis.
Myth: The chemotherapy that worked for other cancers in the body will work on the brain.
Tumors in the brain are not affected equally by chemotherapy as other cancer cells. There are numerous different biological factors that play into how these types of tumors develop. Trying to pare down the treatment simply to a drug that may have worked before does not address those differences. Different types of treatment may work better with certain types of tumors.
