Brain and Nervous System Cancer Care
When you’re a patient at Swedish, we don’t just treat your cancer – we treat you. We use the most advanced treatments to create a highly personalized care plan. We also support you and your loved ones with a full range of services throughout your entire cancer journey. The result is effective, whole-person care for the body, mind and spirit.
Talk to Someone or Make an Appointment
Phone: 1-855-XCANCER
Why Choose Us for Brain and Nervous System Cancer Care?
At Swedish, we see the life in you. Together, let’s finish cancer – so you don’t have to miss any of life’s special moments.
About Brain and Nervous System Cancers
Brain and nervous system cancers occur when masses or tumors made of cancer cells form within the brain or spinal cord. These growths may affect a person’s ability to think and move. The expert oncology teams at Providence use the most effective therapies to treat patients with every type of brain and nervous system cancer and their related conditions, including:
- Glioma
- Glioblastoma
- Meningioma
- Pituitary tumors
- Schwannoma
- Spinal tumors
Testing and Diagnostics
Diagnostic tools help our cancer clinicians determine which therapies will work best for each patient, based on many factors like cancer type and the genetic or molecular profile of the tumor. Your doctors will use multiple advanced diagnostic and prognostic tools to help design your individualized treatment plan. Depending on your case, this may include one or more of the following:
- Biopsy
- Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy
- Interventional radiology
- MRI
- PET/CT scan
Personalized Treatment for Brain and Nervous System Cancers
We take a team approach to your brain and nervous system cancer treatment because we know this offers the best success in controlling and curing cancer. Your multidisciplinary cancer care team will work with you to design an individualized cancer care plan, from diagnosis to post-treatment support. We offer many different therapies across our Swedish locations. Depending on your condition, your personal care plan may include one or more of the following:
Systemic therapies travel through the bloodstream and affect cells in other body parts. They are used for patients whose cancer has spread to other areas of the body or if there’s a high risk of spread. Sophisticated genetic analysis allows us to target therapies to specific DNA mutations that cause cancer cells to develop and grow. Systemic therapies include:
- Chemotherapy
- Clinical trials
- Immunotherapy
Surgical therapies involve an operation or procedure to remove cancer from the body. Surgery may be the main treatment for some invasive cancers, but it’s only one part of the entire treatment plan. Surgical therapies include:
- Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT)
- Neuroendoscopy
- Resection of the brain and nervous system
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation from a source like X-rays or photons to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. It may be part of a treatment plan that also includes systemic therapies and/or surgery. Radiation is sometimes used to help ease a patient’s pain or discomfort. Radiation therapies include:
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Stereotactic radiation (SABR/SBRT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT/SIGRT) Note: This advanced therapy is not available at all Swedish locations.
- Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)
Additional therapies may also be part of the treatment plan for a small number of patients. These may include:
- Alternating electrical fields
- Interventional radiology
Find Brain and Nervous System Cancer Care Close to You
Accreditations
We are proud to see our dedication to our cancer patients recognized by some of the most well-respected programs and institutions in the United States. Several of our Swedish locations have achieved the following accreditations:
- Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) Accreditation – National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
- American College of Radiology (ACR) Accreditation
- Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx) – American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
- Commission on Cancer (CoC) Accreditation – American College of Surgeons (ACS)
- Integrated Network Cancer Program (INCP) – American College of Surgeons (ACS)
- Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification – American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Meet the Team
At Swedish, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.
Find Clinical Trials
Are you looking for a clinical trial for yourself or for a patient? We’d love to help you find one!