Tumors of the Brain and Spine is an up-to-date and comprehensive reference. It focuses primarily on standard approaches to the treatment of benign, primary low-grade to high-grade, and metastatic tumors in the brain and spine, as practiced by surgeons and clinicians at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The book is written mainly for the primary care oncologist, general neurologist, and general neurosurgeon. Chapters on treatment focus on neurosurgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, as administered both singly and in combination. The volume is rounded out with chapters on symptom management, the molecular genetics and neuropathology of intracranial tumors, the leptomeningeal dissemination of systemic cancer, the epidemiology of brain tumors, and innovative treatment strategies.
Our rapidly increasing knowledge about tumors of the brain and spine has rendered these tumors more treatable than ever before. In the new world of central nervous system oncology, maximally complete resection is followed by conformal radiotherapy and often by chemotherapy, the selection of which is based on the tumor's susceptibility to drugs that have biological actions known to interact with the tumor's particular molecular signature.
The chapters of this book collectively weave a tapestry depicting the range of medical, surgical, and radiotherapeutic approaches to neuro-oncology as it is practiced at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, along with the diversity of disciplines needed for effective therapy. M. D. Anderson faculty describe their current approaches to patient assessment, decision making, and management of central nervous system tumors, including treatment for either palliation or for cure.
Tumors of the Brain and Spine
is the sixth book in the M. D. Anderson Cancer Care Series. This book, like the others in this series, highlights integrated care and focuses on treating the patient through the entire spectrum of the disease.
This thorough, practical volume, which includes more than 70 illustrations and 30 tables, is an essential clinical guide for oncologists, surgeons, and other health care providers involved in the care of patients with central nervous system tumors.
