Brain & Spinal Tumors & Cancer

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A personalized approach to each patient’s treatment

The Brain & Spinal Tumor Center at Hackensack Meridian Health is a leader in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of people with benign and malignant tumors that arise in the brain and spinal cord (primary tumors) as well as those that spread to these organs from other parts of the body (metastatic tumors). We treat low-grade and high-grade gliomas and glioblastoma, astrocytoma, meningioma, medulloblastoma, skull-based tumors, acoustic neuroma, central nervous system lymphoma, and spinal cord tumors.

Specialists from multiple disciplines combine their expertise to customize a plan of care that meets your needs – drawing from the latest breakthroughs in research, medical technology, techniques, and treatments.

Comprehensive Care

The team at the Brain Tumor Center at Hackensack Meridian Health JFK Medical Center is experienced in the treatment of benign and malignant tumors that arise in the brain and spinal cord (primary tumors) as well as those that spread to these organs from other parts of the body (metastatic tumors). We care for patients with:

• Acoustic neuroma (vestibular Schwannoma)
• Astrocytoma: anaplastic, low-grade, and cerebellar
• Carcinomatous meningitis
• Cavernous angioma
• Central nervous system lymphoma
• Chordoma
• Colloid cyst
• Craniopharyngioma
• Dermoid
• Ependymoma and subependymoma
• Epidermoid
• Ganglioglioma
• Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other gliomas
• Hemangioblastoma
• Medulloblastoma
• Meningioma
• Metastatic brain tumors
• Neuroblastoma
• Neurofibromatosis tumors
• Oligodendroglioma, including low-grade tumors
• Optic nerve glioma
• Pineal region tumors
• Pituitary tumors
• Skull-based tumors
• Spinal cord tumors
• Ventricular tumors</li

We give you hope

Hackensack Meridian Health offers a robust network of neuro-oncology studies. Our physicians and specialists are committed to working together to develop a personalized approach to each patient’s treatment.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy  works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, which grow and divide quickly.
Depending on your type of cancer and how advanced it is, chemotherapy can:

• Cure cancer – when chemotherapy destroys cancer cells and they will not grow back.
• Control cancer – when chemotherapy keeps cancer from spreading, slows its growth, or destroys cancer cells that have spread to other parts of your body.
• Ease symptoms – when chemotherapy shrinks tumors that are causing pain or discomfort.

Sometimes, chemotherapy is used as the only cancer treatment. But more often, chemotherapy is combined with surgery or radiation therapy.

When used alongside surgery or radiation therapy, chemotherapy can:

• Make a tumor smaller before surgery or radiation therapy
• Destroy cancer cells that may remain after surgery or radiation therapy
• Improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy and biological therapy
• Destroy cancer cells that reoccur or spread to other parts of your body (metastatic cancer)

Surgery

If the brain tumor is accessible for surgery, your surgeon will work to remove as much of the tumor as possible. In most cases, even removing a small portion of the brain tumor may help reduce symptoms.

In some cases, tumors are small and simple to separate from surrounding tissue, which makes complete tumor removal possible. In other cases, tumors can’t be separated from surrounding tissue or they’re located near areas in the brain which can make surgery precarious. In most of these instances, the surgeon will remove as much as they can.

Radiosurgery

TrueBeam ™ Linear Accelerator
TrueBeam™ is an advanced image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system used to treat cancer with speed and accuracy while avoiding healthy tissues and organs. The system provides real-time imaging, which allows the physician to direct doses of radiation with greater accuracy. At the same time, TrueBeam’s respiratory gating technology gives the physician the ability to synchronize radiation beams with your breathing. The respiratory gating also protects any nearby organs and healthy tissues from unnecessary radiation.

CyberKnife®
A painless, noninvasive robotic radiosurgery system used for treating benign and malignant tumors. CyberKnife is able to target difficult to reach or inoperable tumors, without an incision or use of a scalpel.

Radiation Oncology

Our radiation oncology team includes an ensemble of distinguished radiation oncologists who have trained at the most highly respected and well-known cancer centers in the world. Because of this, patients in New Jersey can feel confident that they will receive the best treatments available without the stress of traveling long distances to major metropolitan areas.

Advanced Technology

• Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography (4DCT)
• High Dose Radiation Therapy (HDR)
• State-of-the-art Linear Accelerators withIntensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
• Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
• Unparalleled Experience with CyberKnife®

Follow Up & Supportive Care

When facing a crisis, there is often a need to connect with someone in the same situation. Brain tumor patients, survivors and their families can find help through the Monmouth and Ocean County Brain Tumor Support Group.

This supportive and confidential group offers those affected by brain tumors important educational, emotional and spiritual support. Led by a team of four co-facilitators, including licensed clinical social workers, and health educators, the support group offers a variety of resources, educational support services and periodic lectures to help survivors, families and friends better understand the complex issues during and following treatment.

For more information about current and future meeting dates, times, and topics, please visit www.njbt.org.