Popular Locations
- Smilow Cancer Hospital
- Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center - North Haven
- Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center - Park Avenue Medical Center
The Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center uses the most advanced technologies to diagnose and treat brain, spinal cord and nerve cancer using surgical tools and robot-assisted equipment. We take a multidisciplinary team approach to treating brain cancer. Leaders in the fields of neurosurgery, neurology, medical oncology, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, neuropathology and neuroradiology work together to create customized treatment plans for each patient.
A brain tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue in which some cells grow and multiply uncontrollably. Brain tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors do not contain cancer cells. Usually, benign tumors can be removed. They are sometimes life-threatening. Malignant brain tumors contain cancer cells. They are generally more serious and often life-threatening. They can grow rapidly and impact the surrounding healthy brain tissue.
Our brain cancer teams have developed some of the latest surgical and non-surgical techniques to treat brain tumors, brain metastases and neurological complications of cancer. All with the goal of helping patients survive – and thrive – with intact brain function.
If you have a symptom or a test result that suggests a brain or spinal cord tumor, your doctor may order additional tests or procedures, including:
Smilow Cancer Hospital’s broad range of tools and treatment practices deliver precise diagnoses and more effective treatment options. We have a specialized intensive care unit just for neurological patients. Plus, we offer the latest in imaging technologies, including MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). During surgery, MRI creates accurate pictures of the brain or spinal cord. After surgery it’s used for language and motor skills mapping.
Our brain cancer treatments include:
Smilow Cancer Hospital’s broad range of tools and treatment practices deliver precise diagnoses and more effective treatment options. We have a specialized intensive care unit just for neurological patients. Plus, we offer the latest in imaging technologies, including MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). During surgery, MRI creates accurate pictures of the brain. After surgery it’s used for language and motor skills mapping.
Our brain cancer treatments include:
Smilow Cancer Hospital was the first in the nation to install and use the 3 Tesla MRI neuro suite by IMRIS for brain cancer treatment. This revolutionary technology provides high-quality MRI images before, during and after a neurosurgical procedure – without ever moving the patient. In addition, the neuro suite allows for biplane x-ray angiography to treat a wide range of procedures, including brain tumor resection.
The Gamma Knife is a non-invasive alternative to traditional brain surgery for malignant and benign tumors, vascular abnormalities and trigeminal neuralgia. Typically performed in a single outpatient treatment session without general anesthesia, it directs focused radiation to specific targets in the brain. This proven technique helps patients avoid surgery, scarring and long hospital stays and lessens complications.
Smilow Cancer Hospital benefits from its partnership with the nationally recognized Yale Cancer Center. The Cancer Center funds clinical trials conducted by Yale School of Medicine doctors at Smilow Cancer Hospital.
Our partnership has gained regional and national recognition for continually pushing science and technology toward a cure. Clinical trials led by the Yale Program in Brain Tumor Research focus on understanding how brain tumors form. Researchers are exploring the genetic and molecular basis of brain tumors using genetic and genomic technologies. Understanding the biology of brain tumors will allow researchers to develop targeted and individualized treatment, including more effective drug therapies.
We are readily available to offer our expert opinions. To schedule an appointment or send your records for review and consultation, please contact us for assistance and additional information.
From the time she was a little girl in Bridgeport, CT, Valencia Opont was prone to headaches. “I’d get them a lot but it wasn’t a big deal,” said the 27-year-old nursing assistant. “My mother would give me Tylenol and they went away.”
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