Jefferson physicians treat over 600 brain tumors a year — more than all other university-based hospital programs in the area combined. With their innovative treatments, offered at the Brain Tumor Center of Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center, they have raised the standards of care worldwide for treatment of brain metastases, gliomas and optic sheath meningiomas.

Our multidisciplinary approach pulls together specialists in radiation oncology, neurosurgery and medical oncology, so that patients can be evaluated and receive an individualized treatment plan in one place in one visit to one place. This is important because every day counts when treating this life-threatening diagnosis. Our neurosurgeons are among the most experienced in the country, and are often able to provide effective treatment for tumors that cannot be treated elsewhere.

Jefferson offers noninvasive treatment options for brain tumors that are the most advanced in the Delaware Valley. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is the application of a single large radiation dose to a tumor. The delivery systems are the gamma knife and the stereotactic linear accelerator (LINAC). Advanced imaging systems such as computerized axial tomography (CT scan) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ensure pinpoint accuracy. SRS is a highly effective treatment for benign and malignant tumors and lesions of the brain and spine. It is delivered by radiation oncologists in collaboration with neurosurgeons from the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, who were instrumental in its development.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is another modality that delivers radiation to a tumor with precision and control while sparing healthy tissue. It facilitates the delivery of higher doses of radiation. The image-guided robotic linear accelerator combines high-conformance beam shaping with exclusive 4D adaptive image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) technology for precise radiotherapy treatments using cone beam CT, especially for advanced stereotactic radiation treatments.

Our volume of surgical (both transcranial and endoscopic) and radiosurgical (both single and multiple-fraction) approaches is unrivaled in the tri-state area.