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.
• 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)
• 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