Treatment

Treatment of a choroid plexus carcinoma is often surgery followed by chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both.

• Surgery. The goal of surgery is to remove the entire tumor, when possible. But because delicate and important structures may be nearby, doctors sometimes can't remove the entire tumor. Generally, people who undergo surgery for a choroid plexus carcinoma will need additional therapy after surgery.

  After surgery, about half of the people who had excess fluid on the brain (hydrocephalus) experience relief from this symptom. Others may need to have a temporary drain (shunt) placed at the surgical site.

• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy may be used in addition to surgery and radiation therapy to help control the tumor.

• Radiation therapy. Radiation may be used after surgery, even if the entire tumor was successfully removed. Radiation may also be used later if the tumor grows back.

  Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill tumor cells. Advanced technologies such as stereotactic radiosurgery, proton therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) help treat the cancer effectively while sparing healthy tissues, such as the eyes, optic nerves, brain, brainstem and spinal cord.

• Clinical trials. Clinical trials are studies of new treatments or new ways of using existing treatments.