Brain Tumor

Advanced brain tumor care

From diagnosis through treatment and beyond, you'll find a compassionate team and a care plan tailored to your needs. We translate leading-edge research into more effective patient care to ensure that your best outcome starts at UCSF Health.

Brain tumor diagnosis

Our diagnostic team includes neuropathologists and neuroradiologists who specialize in brain diseases. We use the latest imaging technologies to locate and diagnose brain tumors as quickly as possible, which means you can start treatment faster. We're also leading the development of AI-powered tools that can lead to more precise diagnoses and tumor removal.

Our researchers developed a new molecular profiling technique called the UCSF500 Cancer Gene Panel. This test identifies genetic changes (mutations) in the DNA of cancer cells. It can help us determine which treatments are most likely to be effective, especially for people with advanced cancer that hasn't responded to standard treatment.

Surgery for brain tumors

Our surgeons draw on a variety of techniques to successfully remove brain and spine tumors, even in cases previously considered inoperable. We use the most advanced technology to operate with exceptional accuracy and minimize effects on vital brain functions.

Our brain surgery capabilities include:

• Awake brain mapping. We use imaging guidance and mild electrical stimulation to identify and protect areas of the brain that control speech, sensation and muscle movement during surgery. Many brain mapping techniques were pioneered at UCSF Health.

• Endoscopic brain surgery. We can often remove tumors of the skull base, paranasal sinuses and pituitary glands entirely through the nasal cavity and sinuses, so you don't need a craniotomy or incisions in your face. UCSF Health is one of the country's leading programs for minimally invasive brain surgery.

• Fluorescence-guided surgery. We use a compound called 5-ALA that makes difficult-to-see glioma cells light up during surgery. This technique allows surgeons to remove tumors more completely, potentially improving survival rates.

• Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT). Also called MRI-guided laser ablation, LITT is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat to destroy tumors. UCSF Health was the first in Northern California to offer LITT for certain types of brain tumors.

• Supratotal resection. Our researchers found that removing a brain tumor along with some surrounding tissue — which often contains cancer cells that aren't visible on imaging scans — could improve outcomes. We use this approach to treat certain types of gliomas.

Radiation therapy for brain tumors

Our radiation oncologists carefully plan the dose, duration and timing of radiation therapy to customize your treatment. We use advanced imaging technology and the latest radiation delivery systems to target tumors while sparing healthy tissue.

UCSF Health is a leader in stereotactic radiosurgery. This noninvasive treatment delivers a powerful, precise dose of radiation to brain tumors with surgical precision. We offer two leading-edge stereotactic radiosurgery systems: Gamma Knife and CyberKnife.

Medication and targeted therapy for brain tumors

We may use chemotherapy or targeted therapy in combination with surgery or radiation therapy to treat brain tumors. Targeted therapies are drugs that target specific molecules in cancer cells to stop them from growing and dividing.

UCSF Health uses advanced molecular tests to determine who may benefit from targeted therapies. These include the UCSF500 Cancer Gene Panel and DNA methylation profiling, which analyzes the unique DNA "fingerprint" of cancer cells. Our researchers are also investigating the potential uses for immunotherapy, such as CAR T-cell therapy, to treat brain tumors.