Your general practitioner (GP) or another doctor will arrange the first tests to assess your symptoms. If these tests do not rule out a tumour, you will usually be referred to a specialist, such as a neurosurgeon or neurologist. The specialist will examine you and arrange further tests.
If a tumour is diagnosed, the specialist will consider your treatment options. Often these will be discussed with other health professionals at what is known as a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting. During and after treatment, you will see a range of health professionals who specialise in different aspects of your care.
Health professionals you may see
| neurosurgeon* | diagnoses and treats diseases and injuries of the brain and nervous system; performs surgery |
| neurologist* | diagnoses and treats diseases of the brain and nervous system, particularly those that do not need surgery; helps people manage cognitive changes and seizures |
| radiation oncologist* | treats cancer by prescribing and overseeing a course of radiation therapy |
| medical oncologist* | treats cancer with drug therapies such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy (systemic treatment) |
| cancer care coordinator | coordinates your care, liaises with other members of the MDT and supports you and your family throughout treatment; care may also be coordinated by a clinical nurse consultant (CNC) or clinical nurse specialist (CNS) |
| nurse | administers drugs and provides care, information and support throughout treatment |
| pathologist/ neuropathologist* | analyses blood and tissue from the brain or spinal cord |
| rehabilitation specialist* | recommends and oversees treatment to help you recover movement, mobility and speech after treatment and return to your usual activities |
| social worker | links you to support services and helps you with emotional, practical and financial issues |
| neuropsychologist | assesses people who have problems in thinking or behaviour caused by illness or injury (particularly to the brain) and manages their rehabilitation |
| psychologist, psychiatrist* | help you manage your emotional response to diagnosis and treatment |
| physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist | assist with physical and practical problems, including restoring movement, mobility and speech after treatment, and recommending aids and equipment |
| exercise physiologist | prescribes exercise to help people with medical conditions improve their overall health, fitness, strength and energy levels |
| palliative care specialists* and nurses | work closely with the GP and cancer team to help control symptoms and maintain quality of life |
→ READ MORE: Brain cancer treatment
More resources
A/Prof Lindy Jeffree, Neurosurgeon, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD; Emma Daly, Neuro-oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Cabrini Health, VIC; A/Prof Andrew Davidson, Neurosurgeon, Victorian Gamma Knife Service, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC; Beth Doggett, Consumer; Kate Fernandez, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Melissa Harrison, Allied Health Manager and Senior Neurological Physiotherapist, Advance Rehab Centre, NSW; A/Prof Rosemary Harrup, Director, Cancer and Blood Services, Royal Hobart Hospital, TAS; A/Prof Eng-Siew Koh, Radiation Oncologist, Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool Hospital and University of New South Wales, NSW; Andy Stokes, Consumer.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
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