When compared to the tumors of different parts of the body, treatment of brain tumor is very difficult because brain surgery requires highly sophisticated instruments.
Side effects from these therapeutic drugs are quite complicated and the brain itself does not allow the therapeutic drugs to enter it.
However, the modalities of treating the brain tumor include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and combination of all treatments.
According to the new publication, people who received treatment with the high doses of chemotherapy drugs for certain types of brain tumors seemed to have longer life than those people who received other treatments.
Role Of Methotrexate In Treatment Of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma
Primary central nervous system lymphoma is a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which affects the brain. This type of brain tumor is difficult to treat, but it can be cured or it can drive into long remission.
The most common method of treatment now-a-days is a combination of radiation and chemotherapy. The patient receives chemotherapy first and then will wait for radiation therapy until the results of chemotherapy treatment are seen.
Methotrexate is reported to be the most effective drug with fewer side effects in treating primary central nervous system lymphoma, a rare form of brain tumor.
Methotrexate alone or combination of methotrexate with other chemotherapy drugs is the effective treatment for primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).
It has been proved that 52% of the people who received methotrexate for PCNSL achieved complete remission and 40% of the people have not deteriorated even after seven years.
According to Tracy Batchelor, M.D., their findings support the role of methotrexate as critical chemotherapy drug in treatment of PCNSL brain tumor and also it appears that some people can achieve long remission through methotrexate alone.
It has been encouraging that in rare incidences, patients might not need radiation treatment to treat PCNSL. So, methotrexate can save many patients by not needing to undergo harmful radiation to treat brain tumor.
Methotrexate is generally used in chemotherapy and also this drug is used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, etc.
How To Know Which Tumor Responds To Which Drug And What are the Treatments?
Since many drugs have anti-brain tumor activity, it is difficult to say which tumor responds to which drug and to what degree. Because of this reason, combination of drugs will be used to treat the brain tumors.
For example, Avastin and CPT-11 is a promising combination therapy to treat malignant brain tumors, glioblastoma multiforme.
At the same time, after getting information from the various diagnostic studies, the brain tumor specialists suggest one or more treatment methods.
Depending on the size, type, and location of the tumor, general health of the patient, and the initial site of the tumor, different types of treatments are used.
Acoustic neurinoma, astrocytoma, glioblastoma multiforme, metastatic tumor, mixed glioma, oligodendroglioma, meningioma, ependymoma are some of benign and malignant brain tumors.
When you get severe and persistent headache, which is different or new for you, and also when you develop stupor, vision changes, speech impairment, or seizures, immediately consult your health care provider. Don’t neglect your health.
