Why Choose Us

What are Brain and Spine Tumors?

Why Choose Us

Tumors that develop in the brain or spinal cord may be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). It is often not known what causes brain and spine tumors. However, some people with certain genetic syndromes — such as neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, or Li-Fraumeni syndrome — have a higher risk of developing brain tumors. Brain and spine tumors can also be metastatic, meaning they have spread to the brain or spine from another body part.

Certain occupational exposures such as radiation may increase of developing brain tumors, while chronic infections such as Epstein-Barr virus or AIDS, or having a suppressed immune system, can increase the chance of developing lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system, which forms part of the immune system) A in the brain or spinal cord.

3D illustration showing presence of tumor inside brain

Whether they are benign or malignant, brain tumors may exert pressure on adjacent brain structures and cause symptoms such as seizures, headaches, vision problems, motor, sensory and speech deficits, and balance and coordination issues, among others.

Because the signs of a brain tumor may resemble those caused by other conditions, timely and accurate diagnosis is critical for appropriate management, and it’s important to see experts in brain and spine tumors. The doctors at NewYork-Presbyterian offer compassionate, experienced care for all types of brain tumors and spine tumors, including meningiomas, gliomas, glioblastomas, ependymomas, medulloblastomas, adenomas, and more, both in adults and children.

Our Team

Research-Based Care for Brain and Spinal Tumors

Our Team

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a brain or spinal tumor, you want the best care, from a team that not only offers the latest treatments but is doing research to make therapies even better and more effective. NewYork-Presbyterian’s Brain Tumor Centers provide comprehensive care for brain and spinal tumors and treat more brain tumors than any other center in New York. They are among the busiest in the nation, treating thousands of people with brain and spinal tumors each year.

For people with challenging brain and spinal cancers, investigational treatments being assessed in clinical trials often offer the most hope. As leading academic medical centers, Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medicine are at the forefront of brain tumor research, combining our patient care programs with clinical and laboratory research efforts with the goal of improving outcomes.

Our Approach to Care

A Team Approach to Brain and Spine Tumor Care

Our Approach to Care

Our brain and spine tumor teams include highly experienced physicians — including neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists, neuro-radiologists, neuro-pathologists, and other specialists — who will create a treatment plan tailored to your specific diagnosis and personal needs.

Because we understand the effects that brain and spine tumors and their treatment have on your overall health, your team will also include other health care professionals, who will treat your symptoms and provide pain relief, psychosocial support, physical and occupational rehabilitation, and nutritional guidance during and after treatment.

A Commitment to Advancing in the Field

Your care begins with an accurate diagnosis. Our cancer centers feature neuro-radiologists who are experienced in interpreting results from the latest imaging technologies, as well as experienced neuropathologists who analyze and characterize all tumors at the genetic and molecular levels to make a precise diagnosis that helps guide treatment.

We use the most advanced techniques to treat newly diagnosed and recurrent primary and metastatic brain and spinal tumors, including minimally invasive image-guided neurosurgery, highly precise radiation therapy (such as stereotactic radiosurgery), and chemotherapy.

In addition to providing standard care, our doctors and laboratory scientists are working together to advance the field of brain and spine tumor treatment. They are studying how these tumors develop, grow, recur, and sometimes develop resistance to treatment. They also assess new treatments in the lab and translate the most encouraging advances into clinical trials. As a patient, you’ll have access to clinical trials of promising new therapies.

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Trust NewYork-Presbyterian for Brain and Spinal Tumor Care

When you come to NewYork-Presbyterian for brain or spinal tumor care, you’ll benefit from one of the world’s leading patient care and research teams who will make sure that you have access to the latest treatments and investigational therapies for your disease. People from across the globe seek out the neurologists and neurosurgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian for their expertise in treating the full range of common and complex disorders of the brain and spine.

Make an appointment with one of our physicians and surgeons today to learn about the care we can provide for you.