Neuro Oncology

The Neuro Oncology Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center offers comprehensive, patient-centered treatment of cancers of the brain and spinal cord, as well as cancer-related neurological disorders.

UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center – the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Texas – provides the most advanced treatments available for brain and spinal cord tumors, as well as a wide range of patient-care services. Our team of physicians and support staff is devoted to the health and well-being of each patient, blending leading-edge cancer research with the best of conventional cancer care to provide the best possible outcomes.

World-Class Care for Optimal Outcomes

Neuro oncologists at UT Southwestern specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the brain and spinal cord, as well as tumors and other cancer-related neurological disorders of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. These conditions include:

• Acoustic neuromas
• Astrocytomas
• Choroid plexus tumors
• Craniopharyngiomas
• Glioblastomas
• Ependymomas
• Low-grade gliomas
• Meningiomas
• Neoplastic meningitis
• Neurologic complications of cancer
• Oligodendrogliomas
• Paraneoplastic syndromes
• Pineal gland tumors
• Primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas
• Spinal cord tumors (primary and metastatic)

UT Southwestern takes an integrated, team-based approach to each patient, bringing together physicians and other health care providers from several fields, such as:

• Neurology
• Neurological surgery
• Radiation oncology
• Neuro-oncology
• Neuropathology
• Neuroradiology
• Palliative care medicine
• Rehabilitation medicine
• Neuropsychiatry
• Social work

Diagnosis

UT Southwestern is equipped with the latest tools to diagnose cancers of the brain, central nervous system, and peripheral nervous system.

The rapid advancement of imaging techniques and technologies has enabled our specialists to determine the location, shape, and size of brain and spinal cord tumors with an unprecedented level of precision.

Imaging services include:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): The Mary Nell and Ralph B. Rogers Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center provides state-of-the-art MRI and spectroscopy services for our patients with cancer.
• 2-Hydroxyglutarate (HG) MRI: 2-HG MRI is a novel imaging technique specifically for isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutated gliomas.
• Diagnostic imaging clinical trials: In collaboration with the UT Southwestern Department of Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC), we offer a number of diagnostic research trials to evaluate new imaging techniques of brain tumors, including magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and arterial spin labeling (ALS).
• Positron emission tomography (PET): This scanning technique enables imaging of metabolic processes occurring in the body and brain. Besides providing a valuable tool for early detection and diagnosis of cancer, PET also provides a way to predict whether tumors will respond to various forms of cancer treatment and can help physicians measure how responsive tumor cells have been to treatment.

UT Southwestern’s MRI and PET facilities are among the most advanced in the nation and enable us to provide patients with the best possible medical care.

Neuro Oncology Treatments

Treatment for neurologic cancers or cancer-related conditions can include diagnostic imaging, surgery, stereotactic and conventional radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Physicians formally meet once a week in a multidisciplinary neuro oncology tumor board to discuss each patient’s condition, determine the best treatment approaches, and coordinate the ensuing care.

Our clinicians and researchers are nationally recognized leaders in the development and use of radiation therapies to precisely target brain and spinal cord tumors while sparing surrounding tissues.

Research

The Neuro Oncology Program is sponsored in part by the Annette G. Strauss Center for Neuro Oncology, whose focus is basic-science and clinical research that will improve treatments for patients with tumors of the central nervous system.

Through UT Southwestern’s membership in the North American Brain Tumor Consortium sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, patients can participate in innovative clinical trials aimed at advancing our knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of neurological tumors. These trials potentially enable patients to receive superior therapies with fewer side effects, often years before they become available to the public.