Brain Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment

The brain tumor experts at UC San Diego Health include dedicated neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, neuro-oncologists, neuroradiologists, and neuropathologists to help develop and implement your specific treatment plan.

Our Comprehensive Services

• Neurological evaluations, MRI, Restriction Spectrum Imaging, and MRI-guided biopsy for definitive diagnoses
• Consultations with neuro-oncologists to develop your treatment plan
• Rapid referral to other specialists
• A Brain Tumor Board that reviews cases and develops a coordinated management plan
• Molecular and genetic testing to analyze tumors and tailor cancer treatments

Our Treatment Options

• Optune™, a portable device that uses alternating electric fields to treat glioblastoma
• Neuroblate™ laser ablation therapy to treat tumors using laser light energy
• MRI-guided laser technology
• Surgery, including techniques developed at UC San Diego Health. See videos of these procedures
• Proton therapy, which uses a high-energy beam of protons to target and irradiate tumors
• Stereotactic radiosurgery, a form of high-precision, high-dose radiation therapy
• Drug therapy
• Access to clinical trials investigating the latest immunotherapies and vaccine therapy as well as traditional methods

Conditions We Treat

The most common conditions we treat are glioma, glioblastoma (including astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, and oligoastrocytoma) and brain metastases. We also treat the following more rare conditions:

• Acoustic neuroma
• Arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
• Cavernous malformations
• Craniopharyngioma
• Ependymoma
• Germinoma
• Medulloblastoma or primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)
• Meningioma
• Pineal tumors
• Pituitary tumors