This document provides information about brain tumors and their treatment. It notes that there are over 120 types of brain tumors, with some being cancerous and others non-cancerous. Each year about 66,000 new brain tumors are diagnosed in the United States. Common symptoms include headaches, vision changes, nausea, fatigue, tremors and seizures. Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, conventional surgery, and stereotactic radiosurgery. The document also provides information about a local radiosurgery center and how people can help with brain tumor awareness.

1. Brain
Tumor
Awareness
Month
About
brain
tumors
and
treatment
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East
Valley
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Escondido,
CA
92025
(760)
739-­‐3835
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2. What is a Brain Tumor?
The
growth
of
abnormal
cells
in
the
Gssues
of
the
brain.
Brain
tumors
can
be
benign
(not
cancer)
or
malignant
(cancer).
• There
are
more
than
120
different
types
of
brain
tumors;
some
are
malignant
(cancer),
many
are
benign
(non-­‐cancerous).
• The
Central
Brain
Tumor
Registry
es?mates
66,290
new
cases
of
primary
non–malignant
and
malignant
brain
and
central
nervous
system
tumors
will
be
diagnosed
in
the
United
States
in
2012.
• A
large
number
of
brain
tumors
are
metastaGc.
Metasta?c
brain
tumors
begin
as
a
cancer
elsewhere
in
the
body
and
migrate,
or
metastasize,
to
the
brain.
555
East
Valley
Parkway
Escondido,
CA
92025
(760)
739-­‐3835
www.sdradiosurgery.com

3. Symptoms of a Brain Tumor
No
screening
tests
exist
for
early
brain
tumor
detec?on.
These
tumors
can
be
hard
to
diagnose
some?mes,
as
their
symptoms
mimic
other
diseases.
Common
symptoms
of
brain
tumors:
• New
or
increasingly
severe
headaches
• Changes
in
vision
• Nausea
or
vomi?ng
• Abnormal
fa?gue
• Tremors
or
seizures
• Speech
problems
• Memory
loss
• Personality
changes
• Weakness
on
one
side
of
the
body
• Sudden
facial
paralysis
• Impaired
sense
of
balance
555
East
Valley
Parkway
Escondido,
CA
92025
(760)
739-­‐3835
www.sdradiosurgery.com

4. How are brain tumors treated?
There
are
several
treatment
op?ons
available
for
those
diagnosed
with
brain
tumors,
including
chemotherapy,
radia?on
therapy,
conven?onal
surgery
and
stereotac?c
radiosurgery.
Radia?on
Therapy:
Usually
a
Chemotherapy:
Usually
administered
secondary
treatment
following
surgery.
as
a
secondary
treatment
following
Can
be
noninvasive
or
invasive
and
surgery
or
radia?on
therapy.
possibly
damage
normal
cells
as
well
as
cancer
cells.
Conven?onal
Surgery:
Open
surgery
can
benefit
pa?ents
with
a
Stereotac?c
Radiosurgery:
single
metasta?c
brain
tumor
that
can
Delivers
precisely
targeted,
high-­‐dose
be
safely
accessed
and
who
don’t
have
radia?on
to
brain
tumors
and
lesions
cancer
elsewhere
in
the
body.
without
surgery
or
seda?on.
555
East
Valley
Parkway
Escondido,
CA
92025
(760)
739-­‐3835
www.sdradiosurgery.com

5. How can I help?
• Educate
Yourself:
Learn
more
about
brain
tumors
and
treatment
op?ons
• Get
Ac?ve:
Find
a
walk,
run,
or
other
community
event
in
support
of
brain
tumor
research.
• Speak
Up:
Tweet,
update
your
status,
or
talk
to
friends
about
brain
tumor
awareness.
Visit
the
Na?onal
Brain
Tumor
Society
or
the
American
Brain
Tumor
Associa?on
for
more
informa?on.
555
East
Valley
Parkway
Escondido,
CA
92025
(760)
739-­‐3835
www.sdradiosurgery.com

6. Our Center
Under
the
leadership
of
medical
director
Dr.
Brian
Volpp,
San
Diego
Radiosurgery
offers
advanced
cancer
treatment
by
some
of
the
region’s
most
experienced
radia?on
oncologists
and
technicians.
Opened
in
2008,
the
center
was
one
of
the
first
facili?es
in
the
country
to
have
respiratory
ga?ng
technology,
allowing
greater
protec?on
of
normal
?ssue
during
treatment.
San
Diego
Radiosurgery
is
a
service
of
Palomar
Health
Downtown
Campus,
a
member
of
the
Palomar
Pomerado
Health
System.
Medical
Director:
Dr.
Brian
Volpp
Nurse:
Cathy
Blazek,
RN,
BSN
Medical
Physicist:
Mark
Young
Connect
with
us
555
East
Valley
Parkway
Escondido,
CA
92025
(760)
739-­‐3835
www.sdradiosurgery.com