Brain, Spinal and Central Nervous System Cancer

When a tumor is found in the brain, spine or central nervous system, treatment needs to be comprehensive and cutting-edge. Ochsner’s Neuro-oncology group is made up of award-winning physicians, all experts in their field, who come together with one common goal — to create a unique plan of care tailored to each individual patient.

Treatment options for brain and spinal cancer include both surgical and non-surgical options, and if a patient’s care plan calls for surgery, they’re in good hands — the Ochsner neuro-oncology surgeons are among the region’s most experienced in both conventional open surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and non-invasive radiosurgery.

And when surgery isn’t enough, Ochsner’s commitment to ongoing research offers patients additional supplemental care through clinical trials.

Ochsner’s neuro-oncology program leads the region in treatment options, including:

Cutting-edge Clinical Trials

Ochsner has one of the largest clinical trials network in Louisiana. This commitment to continued cancer research allows Ochsner to offer care to patients that have nowhere else to turn.

Non-invasive Treatment Options

Ochsner is a regional leader in radiosurgery, an outpatient procedure that uses high-powered, targeted X-rays to treat brain tumors. Ochsner’s radiosurgery technique delivers tumor treatment in as little as 15 minutes.

Coordinated Care

Your neuro-oncology care team is made up of four providers — a neurosurgeon, oncologist, psychologist and radiation oncologist.
If a patient needs surgery, radiation and consultations with other specialists, they can rest assured that they won’t have to travel far — or at all. With the Ochsner neuro-oncology program, all the care you need is under one roof.

Adult brain tumors
Gliomas
Glioblastoma
Anaplastic astrocytoma
Low-grade astrocytoma
Pilocytic astrocytoma
Oligodendroglioma
Ependymoma
Metastatic brain tumors
Skull base brain tumors
Meningiomas
Acoustic neuromas
Chordomas
Chondrosarcomas
Glomus tumors
Pituitary tumors
Pediatric brain tumors
Medulloblastoma
Astrocytoma
Ependymomas
Brain stem glioma
Crainopharyngiomas
Spinal tumors
Metastasis
Spinal cord tumors

Ochsner offers patients the option of treating brain and spine tumors with radiosurgery, a sophisticated, noninvasive treatment option used to destroy tumors with minimal incisions. Our expert neurosurgeons are among Louisiana and the Gulf South’s most experienced in treating tumors using this technology as well as Gamma Knife and linear accelerator-based technologies.

The Ochsner Novalis® Radiosurgery Program offers a high standard of radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). This allows for non-invasive, shaped-beam cancer treatment that takes just minutes out of your day. Novalis radiosurgery treats cancerous and non-cancerous conditions of the entire body with one-of-a-kind shaped-beam technology. Shaping the beam precisely to your tumor gives you and your doctor confidence that the best possible treatment dose is delivered while healthy tissue is protected. The program utilizes the TrueBeam™ STx system that performs both SBRT for treatments throughout the body and sterotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for treatments in the brain or central nervous system. TrueBeam STx combines imaging, sophisticated and powerful beam delivery and advanced motion management to perform radiosurgery with great precision and speed.

Precision

Shapes the cancer-fighting radiation beam around your tumor or lesion, ensuring that the maximum prescribed dose of high-energy radiation is delivered to the entire tumor or lesion
Protects surrounding healthy tissue
Adapts treatment to your breathing and other body movements so that radiation delivery is always safe, complete and accurate
Delivers treatment in as little as 15-20 minutes for a more comfortable treatment experience when compared with other radiosurgery treatment options
Reduces the likelihood of body or tumor movements, ensuring that treatment is delivered with the highest possible accuracy
Offers one-time treatment or a series of treatments based on your doctor’s recommendation

Personalization

Flexible treatment options ensure that you receive the best treatment for your condition
Delivers one of the highest dose rates to treat tumors deep inside the body or brain
Offers hope to those with conditions once considered untreatable and for whom surgery is not an option

Non-Invasive

Frameless radiosurgery offers you a more comfortable and non-invasive alternative to other radiosurgery systems which require immobilization with a head ring that attaches to the skull