Treatment of brain tumours
Gustave Roussy treats patients with meningiomas, gliomas, ependymomas, medulloblastomas, cerebral lymphomas, “solitary” cerebral metastases, chordomas and other skull base tumours.
A cerebral tumour is one which arises within the cranium. There are numerous types of such tumours. Their consequences and seriousness vary greatly depending on:
- their position (cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, brain stem, pituitary, meninges, etc.)
- how invasive they are: they may be malignant tumours (cancerous), classified in various grades according to their degree of invasiveness, or benign (non-cancerous), some of which can progress to become malignant
- their nature (the tumour cell type) and their cytogenetic characteristics (whether or not there is specific remodelling of genetic material)
The treatment strategy which is recommended to the patient is very tightly linked to these factors. It is decided on by consultation between specialists from various disciplines (surgery, radiotherapy, oncology, neurology and pathological anatomy) and always makes allowances for the unique nature of each patient.
Surgery is the first treatment considered for brain tumours whenever possible. It may be combined with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.
The time period before treatment at Gustave Roussy commences may depend on several factors but at the most should always be between three and five weeks after the surgical procedure.
Certain treatment, in particular surgery, may be carried out in other hospital centres, with which Gustave Roussy works closely: the Sainte-Anne Hospital Centre (Neurosciences Department), the Kremlin Bicêtre University Hospital Centre (CHU), the Pitié Salpêtrière CHU etc.
It is a special feature of Gustave Roussy care that young adults are managed in close collaboration with the Gustave Roussy department of Paediatrics.
