Surgery for brain cancer

Surgery in the brain or spinal cord is called neurosurgery.

For general information about what surgery is and how it is used to treat cancer, see Surgery.

Learn more about:

• Why have surgery?
• When surgery is not possible
• What to expect before surgery
• Types of surgery for brain cancer
• What to expect after surgery
• Side effects of surgery
• Video: Surgery for brain cancer

Why have surgery?

You may have surgery to:

• remove the whole tumour (total resection)
• remove part of the tumour (partial resection or debulking)
• help diagnose a brain tumour (biopsy).

Removing part of the tumour may be considered when the tumour covers a wider area or is near major blood vessels or other important parts of the brain or spinal cord. This may help reduce the pressure on your brain, which will improve some of the symptoms.

When surgery is not possible

Sometimes a tumour cannot be safely removed because it is too close to certain parts of the brain and surgery would cause blindness, speech problems or partial paralysis. This is called an inoperable or unresectable tumour.

Your doctor will talk to you about what other treatments you can have and ways to manage symptoms.

What to expect before surgery

The different scans used to diagnose a brain tumour (such as MRI or CT scans) are often done again to help plan surgery.

To help the surgeon avoid damaging the most important areas of the brain, you may have a type of MRI scan called a functional MRI (fMRI). You will be asked to complete brain exercises during the scan to show the exact areas of the brain that are used as you speak or move. These parts of the brain can also be found during surgery with brain mapping.

Tell your doctor about any blood-thinning or other medicines you are taking. Some medicines interfere with the anaesthetic used during the operation, so you may need to stop taking them for a while.

If you smoke, it is important to stop before surgery. Continuing to smoke can increase the risk of complications.

→ READ MORE: The types of surgery for brain cancer

Video: Surgery for brain cancer

Find out more about the surgery options for brain cancer, including craniotomy, awake craniotomy, and endoscopic surgery.