Treatment and Prevention
Any type of cancer requires immediate attention and treatment to improve a person's chance of survival. Depending on the grade and type of cancer, the doctor will be able to suggest a possible treatment for you.
People with gliomas often combine different types of treatment for the best chance of recovery. Possible treatments include: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery. Sometimes, people with gliomas participate in clinical trials to gain access to experimental treatments or they add complementary and alternative therapies to their treatment plan.
Medications are useful in the treatment of glioma. Anti-epileptic medications help reduce the risk of different types of seizures while chemotherapy, which uses a combination of powerful medications, helps damage or kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy medications also affect healthy cells in the body which may lead to side effects such as hair loss and vomiting. Another medication called dexamethazone may be recommended to reduce the swelling around a brain tumor.
In the case of surgery, the surgeon may decide to remove part of or the entire tumor. This operation is delicate and the location of the tumor will determine whether or not a tumor can be removed. If the tumor is on or close to the brain stem, surgery becomes more challenging.
Radiation therapy uses X-rays to destroy cancer cells in the tumor. Radiation therapy may damage healthy tissue around the tumor but doctors try to limit this damage as much as possible. Radiation can also be given inside the body by placing radioactive substances near the tumor. Radiation therapy may remove the cancer for a long period of time.
Some people also choose to enroll in a clinical trial for experimental medications or use complementary and alternative therapies (e.g., herbal preparations, reflexology, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine). Ask what clinical trials are being offered that may suit your cancer treatment needs and what complementary therapies are available. Generally, people choose to use complementary or alternative therapies along with the treatment recommended by their doctor.
To reduce your risk of developing different forms of cancer, make healthy choices every day. Some of these choices include:
- don't smoke
- eat a healthy diet
- exercise regularly
- maintain a healthy weight
- limit alcoholic drinks
- reduce exposure to the sun's damaging rays and tanning beds
- handle chemicals safely and as instructed