We know how challenging it is when your physical abilities, mental health, and daily life are disrupted by a brain tumor. We’re here to help you get the personalized care and support you need, whether your tumor is cancerous or not.

Our experienced surgeons use innovative techniques to provide you the safest possible treatment with the best possible results. We support your wellness before, during, and after your surgery with a full range of services and support resources.

Why Choose Us for Brain Tumor Care

  • National leaders in brain tumor care: In our care, you have the benefit of advanced surgical treatments that aren’t readily available elsewhere. Our teams are national leaders in minimally invasive approaches, keyhole surgery, and precision medicine.
  • All the experts you need: Our surgeons and other specialists combine their expertise to create your personalized care plan and guide you through it. After treatment, experts in rehabilitation help you recover abilities impaired by your brain tumor.
  • Advanced surgical procedures: Your surgery includes technologies and techniques that increase your safety and improve your results. This includes image-guided surgery,supported by artificial intelligence (AI) which allows surgeons to remove deep brain tumors once thought to be inoperable.
  • Innovative research and clinical trials: Our clinical trials in surgery, genomics, and immunotherapy may offer hope if other treatments aren’t the right choice for you. Our scientists work side-by-side with physicians to make the treatments of tomorrow a reality today.
  • Whole person care: At the heart of our approach is whole person care, ensuring we address not only the physical aspects of your brain tumor but also your emotional, mental, and social well-being.Our team of specialists collaborates to create a comprehensive care plan tailored to your individual needs, integrating medical expertise with wellbeing support to empower you and your family.

Conditions We Treat

  • Astrocytoma, a common type of brain tumor in adults.
  • Colloid cyst, a benign (not cancerous) sac of fluid in the brain.
  • Glioma and glioblastoma, or brain cancer in the glial tissue of the brain. A glioblastoma is the most severe form of a glioma.
  • Intraventricular tumors, often benign tumors in the brain’s ventricles (which keep the brain safely afloat in fluid)
  • Meningioma, the most common tumor that forms in the head. Most meningiomas are benign.
  • Metastatic brain tumors, cancers that have spread to the brain from other parts of the body.
  • Oligodendroglioma, cancer that forms in specialized family of brain cells. 
  • Pineal region tumor, cancer that begins in the pineal gland in the middle of the brain.
  • Pituitary adenoma disorder, disorder in which benign tumors in the pituitary gland release excessive hormones.
  • Schwannoma, a tumor that grows in nerve sheaths anywhere on the body, including the head and neck.
  • Spinal cord tumor, abnormal tissue growth in or near the spinal cord that can be benign or malignant (cancerous).
  • Spinal cord tumor (Chordoma), abnormal tissue growth in or near the spinal cord, often treated with proton beam radiosurgery. 

Services We Provide

Led by internationally recognized neurosurgeons, our team offers comprehensive services for brain tumor treatment. We work alongside experts in non-surgical treatments to make sure you receive the right care at the right time. This includes our radiation oncologists and neuro-oncologists, leaders in developing targeted treatments through research on brain tumors at the cellular level.

  • Proton beam radiosurgery: Harnessing the power of advanced radiation technology, our proton radiosurgery utilizes precise proton beams to target and treat brain tumors capable of unique accuracy, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues and reducing side effects commonly associated with traditional radiation therapy. 

  • Image-guided surgery: Our surgeons use 3D image-guided technology to map your procedure before entering the operating room and to increase precision during surgery.  

  • Laser interstitial therapy (LITT): Laser interstitial therapy offers a minimally invasive alternative to traditional surgery in brain tumor treatment. Our skilled surgeons utilize focused laser energy to precisely target and destroy tumor cells, providing you with a less invasive option, shorter recovery times, and improved quality of life. 

  • Tumor treating fields: Embracing a novel concept, tumor treating fields utilize targeted low-intensity electric fields to disrupt cancer cell division and inhibit tumor growth. Our comprehensive approach integrates this innovative technology into personalized treatment plans, offering a non-invasive and effective strategy to combat brain tumors while minimizing side effects. 

  • Endovascular treatments: Endovascular treatment is a minimally invasive procedure to address brain tumors and related conditions with precision and effectiveness. By accessing the affected area through a blood vessel pathway, our skilled specialists deliver targeted therapy or perform microsurgery directly at the site of the tumor.  

  • Minimally-invasive techniques: Our surgeons are experienced with surgical techniques that use fewer, smaller incisions using microsurgical tools, allowing us to choose alternative approaches to a lesion. These techniques can reduce damage to your body and help you recover faster. 

  • Awake and speech motor mapping: Our approach involves brain tumor surgeons working closely with the neuro-anesthesia team to perform safe, highly complex, awake surgical resections of tumors located within or near eloquent (functional) brain tissue. Patients remain conscious during the procedure, actively participating by moving their extremities and talking during critical portions of the surgery. This direct patient involvement increases the chance of achieving a maximal safe resection of the tumor while minimizing the risk of injuring functional brain tissue, ensuring patients remain neurologically intact throughout the surgery. 

  • Asleep motor mapping: This method is employed for tumors located near cortical or subcortical motor structures. While the patient is under general anesthesia, our surgeons use a probe to directly stimulate the brain, ensuring continued functionality of motor pathways throughout the procedure. This technique is particularly useful when the tumor is far from speech areas, eliminating the need to assess speech during surgery. It allows for precise identification and preservation of motor functions, ensuring effective tumor removal while safeguarding critical brain functions. 

  • Personalized brain tumor treatment plan: An important part of getting the best possible results is a treatment plan tailored to your needs and circumstances. Our team of experts consider both the type and order of brain tumor treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. We create a plan based on the tumor size, location, and genetic characteristics. 

What to Expect

We understand the toll a brain tumor can have on your physical, mental, and emotional health. From your first appointment through your recovery, we focus on providing you with compassionate service that supports your wellness. You will be greeted by our friendly staff, who are fully committed to caring for you as a person. During your visits, our doctors take time to get to know you and your unique needs.

Assessment and Diagnosis

An accurate diagnosis helps determine your options for brain tumor surgery. You’ll begin by meeting with a surgeon, who will ask you questions about your medical history and evaluate your symptoms. If you need further testing, we’ll help you schedule appointments. Depending on your specific condition, we may recommend:

  • Imaging: You may need one or more imaging studies, such as an MRI, CT, or PET scan, to pinpoint the location of abnormal brain areas. Imaging is an important part of getting an accurate diagnosis and guiding your surgery.
  • Genetic testing: We may recommend testing the tumor to look for genetic markers that can be targeted by specific chemotherapies or immunotherapies. These targeted therapies can help increase the effect of treatment and decrease side effects.

Treatment

Brain tumor surgery is an effective treatment for many benign and malignant tumors. If you need surgery, our team offers all the support you need before, during, and after your procedure. We’ll help you understand your treatment plan and choose the best options available to you.

Our goals with surgery are to improve your physical and mental function, prevent further damage, and help you live a healthier life. To help achieve these goals, our surgeons stay on the leading edge of research, pioneer treatments, and offer advanced surgical techniques, including: 

  • Keyhole surgeries, where minimally invasive techniques are used to remove brain tumors through a small hole in the skull.
  • Eyebrow craniotomy, used to enter certain areas of the brain through the eyebrow area for minimal disruption of skull and brain tumor tissue.
  • Endoscopic endonasal surgery, using the nasal cavity as a natural passageway to access tumors near the pituitary gland and at the base of the skull.

Follow-Up

Just like with every surgery, your body will need time to recover from brain tumor surgery. However, because brain tumors can affect functions like movement, speech, and vision, you may also need certain types of rehabilitation. From physical therapy to speech therapy, we’ll guide your recovery so you can focus on living your life. 

How to Get Help

We’re here to help you get the care you need. To connect with us to arrange an appointment or make a referral, please call 909-558-0880.

Our Commitment to Your Care

Our Commitment to Your Care

When you're in our care, your physical, mental, and spiritual health are top priorities. Learn more about our approach to your care from our neurosurgery team leader, Dr. Warren Boling.
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