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Why should you receive treatment for
brain tumors in AMC?
Brain tumors refer to various kinds of tumors that develop within the brain tissue or other soft tissue inside the cranium. They also include cancers originating from other parts of the body located further away, that have metastasized to the brain. Like other tumors of the body, brain tumors are mostly acquired by genetic deficiencies and are rarely inherited. They are composed of a number of (> 100) histological types that have markedly different growth rates. Today as imaging technologies such as the CT or MRI are widely used, more and more brain tumors are being detected. Also, with the advancement of oncological treatment, patients’ survival rates as well as the incidence of brain metastasis have increased.
Brain tumors require not only oncological treatment but also the conservation and improvement of brain functions to ensure patient quality of life. AMC’s Brain Tumor Center is one of the largest brain tumor-specialized centers in Asia that offers the most advanced and experienced care. The center customizes the treatment plan to around 1,200 patients every year whom were diagnosed with all kinds of brain tumors. It also provides a broad range of treatments including all aspects of therapeutic modalities such as skull base surgery, endoscopic operation, neuro-oncologic clinical trials, stereotactic radiosurgery, and neuroendocrine treatment.
The Brain Tumor Center has established a multidisciplinary system participated by medical professionals of various departments of neurosurgery, oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, endocrinology and metabolism, plastic surgery, and otolaryngology to offer the best treatment services to brain tumor patients. Experienced specialists cooperate and make endless efforts to cure brain tumors and improve patients’ quality of life.
Treatment options
Surgery
Surgery is usually the primary treatment option for brain tumors. It provides patients with a chance of cure in many benign tumors such as meningiomas, schwannomas, and pituitary adenomas. In malignant tumors such as high-grade gliomas and medulloblastomas, surgery takes the role of tissue diagnosis and tumor debulking that leads additional therapies. To maximize safety in brain tumor surgery, various advanced technologies are applied in both preoperative and intraoperative stages, such as functional MRI, neurophysiologic monitoring, neuronavigation, and intraoperative ultrasound and CT.
Postoperative adjuvant therapies
Postoperative adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy including stereotactic radiosurgery, targeted therapy, and new biologic therapies are thoroughly planned by the brain tumor committee participated by neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, neuropathologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists.
Stereotactic radiosurgery
AMC’s Brain Tumor Center prides in its comprehensive stereotactic radiosurgery service for it is equipped with the cutting-edge radiosurgery systems, Gamma Knife Icon, and CyberKnife Version 9.5. Since the first introduction of Gamma Knife in Asia in 1990, more than 8,000 Gamma Knife treatments have been conducted. In 2011, CyberKnife system was introduced, which is for tumors that cannot be treated with Gamma Knife. The Gamma Knife and CyberKnife are used in a complementary fashion depending on each patient’s specific conditions to achieve best results.
AMC’s treatment performance
1990: Implemented an advanced skull base surgery program
1990: Introduced the Gamma Knife, first in Asia (more than 8,000 cases)
1995: Introduced a frameless stereotactic surgery system (the viewing wand system)
Since 2008: Treated more than 1,000 cases per year
2011: Introduced the CyberKnife system (more than 1,000 cases)
