Treatment

Oligodendroglioma treatment options include:

• Surgery to remove the tumor. Your brain surgeon (neurosurgeon) will work to remove as much of the oligodendroglioma as possible without affecting healthy brain tissue. Specialized surgical techniques, such as awake brain surgery, can help ensure that sensitive brain tissue isn't damaged during surgery.

  Additional treatments may be recommended after surgery if any tumor cells remain or if there's an increased risk your tumor will recur.

• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs can be taken in pill form or through a vein in your arm.

  Chemotherapy is often used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain. It can be combined with radiation therapy for aggressive cancers. For people who can't undergo surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be used as a primary treatment.

• Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams, such as X-rays or protons, to kill cancer cells. During radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a machine moves around you, directing beams to precise points in your brain.

  Radiation therapy is sometimes recommended after surgery and may be combined with chemotherapy.

• Clinical trials. Clinical trials are studies of new treatments. These studies give you a chance to try the latest treatment options, but the risk of side effects may not be known. Ask your doctor whether you might be eligible to participate in a clinical trial.
• Supportive (palliative) care. Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care specialists work with you, your family and your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support that complements your ongoing care. Palliative care can be used while undergoing other aggressive treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.