Welcome

The Yale Brain Tumor Center, as part of the Yale Cancer Center, is a multidisciplinary group dedicated to the care of patients with primary brain tumors, brain metastases and neurological complications of cancer. It is the only multidisciplinary consortium providing comprehensive brain cancer care in southern New England and has gained regional and national recognition.

The physicians of the Yale Brain Tumor Center offer a wide spectrum of advanced strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of Brain Cancer including microsurgical tumor removal, intraoperaitve neurophysiological monitoring, image-guided stereotactic techniques, 3D conformal radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery (,gamma knife’) and novel ,targeted’ chemotherapies. The program is comprised of the departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology, Medical Oncology, Therapeutic Radiology, Neuropathology, and Neuroradiology. A dedicated Clinical Coordinator facilitates access, coordinates services and supports patients and their families.

In addition to state of the art treatments, the physicians of the Yale Brain Tumor Center conduct clinical trials through the Yale Cancer Center or in the setting of multi-institutional studies coordinated by the national cancer consortia RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG).

Research that physicians of the Yale Brain Tumor Center either conduct themselves or are involved with through affiliations with basic scientists at Yale University School of Medicine focuses on a better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to brain cancer and translation of this knowledge into new treatment strategies.

The Yale Brain Tumor Center puts together all of the components critical to managing patients with brain tumors: comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis, leading edge treatment options, thorough follow-up and psychosocial support. Patients are welcome whether they are newly diagnosed or have already received extensive treatment.

Calls from referring physicians, patients or their families are handled by an experienced clinical care coordinator. The coordinator ensures that appropriate appointments are made quickly. New patients with brain tumors are usually seen within a couple of days. The care coordinator also acts as the patient’s interface with the various medical specialists who are called into play in each treatment plan.

The patient is the focus of all of the diagnosis and treatment skills Yale’s interdisciplinary team of specialists brings to the service. Neuro-oncology surgeons, radiation oncologists, neuroradiologists, medical oncologists, neurologists, neuropathologists and others meet weekly at a Tumor Board Conference to arrive at the most appropriate treatment plan for each individual. Since the Yale Brain Tumor Center is an academic referral center, the teams of specialists have an opportunity to treat the rarest as well as the most common cancers. Because of the center’s research and teaching mission, its practitioners are well acquainted with the most advanced treatment methods. Patients benefit from that knowledge and from specialized resources such as a dedicated neurological intensive care unit and the latest imaging technologies.

Physicians of the Yale Brain Tumor Center maintain a close working relationship with physicians practicing in the community. They welcome referrals and supply physicians with regular reports on diagnostic findings and treatment recommendations.