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Minimally Invasive Surgery
"I had an incision on my back that was less than an inch. It was so small I had trouble even finding it on my back. I was back at my office working in less than a week. This was a miracle to me!"

Glen Redd - Greenwell Springs, LA

Specialized Care With An Emphasis On Quality
05.21.13
Few things are more comforting to a patient than an experienced, well-trained physician and a high-quality facility with a full complement of services. The NeuroMedical Center provides both.

Learn how neurologist, Dr. Acosta, helped save Pro Football Hall of Famer from a stroke
12.12.10
She described Taylor's symptoms and Luikhart called neurologist Dr. Jay Acosta, who "appeared out of nowhere and started taking over in the ER."

It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World
10.19.10
Read what Dr. Dammers, Neuropsychologist, has to say about too much technology in the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report

Patient Education > Brain Tumors

BRAIN TUMORS

Symptoms
Common brain tumor symptoms include:

Headaches (especially if present when awakening)
Weakness (especially on one side of the body)
Seizures
Cognitive or personality changes
Visual changes
Nausea or vomiting

Brain Tumor types
Malignant Brain Tumors
“Primary” Brain Tumors (start in the brain):

Glioblastoma Multiforme (grade IV / “high grade”)
Anaplastic Astrocytoma or Oligodendroglioma (grade III / “medium grade”)
Astrocytoma or Oligodendroglioma (grade II /“low grade”)
Ependymoma, Medulloblastoma, Primary CNS Lymphoma

“Secondary” or Metastatic Brain Tumors
(spread from elsewhere):

Lung Cancer
Breast Cancer
Also Kidney, Malignant Melanoma or Colon Cancer
Rarely if ever… Prostate, Uterine, nonmelanoma skin cancers

“Benign” Brain Tumors

Meningioma
Acoustic Neuroma

Diagnosis

History and neurologic examination
Brain Scans: CT, MRI - MR Spectroscopy, Occasionally PET scans

Causes

Inherited/Genetic syndromes (5%)
Previous Radiation
Serious Head Trauma (meningiomas)
Chemicals (petrochemicals), pesticides
Very doubtful: cell phones

Treatments

Surgery – biopsy, removal
Radiation – whole brain, involved areas
Radiosurgery
Chemotherapy - Temozolomide, BCNU, PCV, Gliadel (chemotherapy wafers)
Experimental therapy - Gene therapy, vaccines, immunotherapy, stem cells, angiogenesis
Symptom management - Steroids (Decadron) for brain swelling, Seizure medicines, Rehab – Inpatient, Physical/Occupational/ Speech Therapy

Important Brain Tumor Facts

Each year 190,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor.
Metastatic brain tumors occur at some point in 10% to 15% of people with cancer and are the most common type of brain tumor.
Primary brain tumors rarely, if ever, spread to other parts of the body.

Dr. Jon Olson at The NeuroMedical Center is our “brain tumor expert” and the only fellowship trained neuro-oncologist in Baton Rouge.

The NeuroMedical Center offers this information as a courtesy service. Please remember that medical knowledge is always evolving and we cannot represent that any of our information is absolutely current. Please consult a physician before taking any medical action based on information gathered from this or any website.