Brain & Spine Tumor Program
About Our Program
The Barrow Brain & Spine Tumors program is a full-service, complete cancer care team that allows patients with benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, brain, and spine to have all of their oncological services provided and coordinated in the same center. We are a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, head and neck surgeons, neuro-oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, speech-language pathologists, and ENT specialists offering the latest treatment for head and neck cancer, neurological cancers, and metastatic cancers.
There are many different types of tumors that affect the brain, spine, head, and neck. Some require no treatment, only watchful waiting. Others require an aggressive treatment plan. Our experienced team of experts take an individual approach that focuses on treating you, the person, and not just your cancer.
At Barrow, we see you as a partner in care, not just a patient. It is our goal to keep you informed about and involved in your treatment.
We also know that having options is important to you. Treatment options at Barrow that we are known for include:
- Access to the largest phase 0 clinical trials program in the world through the Ivy Brain Tumor Center (new headquarters opening in 2024)
- Advanced Cyberknife and Gamma Knife radiosurgery
- Minimally invasive and microscopic brain surgery techniques performed by word-class neurosurgeons, accessible to anyone via Barrow Second Opinion
- The opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research and clinical trials
Our experienced team of experts take an individual approach that focuses on treating you, the person, and not just your cancer.
The Barrow Oncology Difference
The Brain and Spine Tumor Team By Your Side
The Barrow Oncology and Ivy Brain Tumor Center teams combine to make one of the largest and busiest brain tumor treatment centers in the United States, but our expertise doesn’t stop with brain and spine cancer. Our diverse, experienced team includes expert head and neck cancer surgeons that specialize in tumors of the mouth, jaw, face, nose, throat, and esophagus. Every day we treat patients with tumors ranging from simple to complex and challenging.
Harnessing the Latest Technology
Our commitment to patient care is augmented by the newest advances in surgical techniques, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and diagnostic imaging. We offer state-of-the-art treatments, including:
- Gamma Knife radiosurgery
- CyberKnife radiosurgery
- Intraoperative confocal microscopy
- Advanced intraoperative imaging
- Cutting edge Phase 0 clinical trials within the Ivy Brain Tumor Center
Fast Online Second Opinions
Have you been told that your brain tumor is inoperable? Are you unsure about the treatment plan that has been suggested for you? At Barrow, we believe second opinions are an important part of getting the best cancer treatment available. That’s why we offer the expertise of our oncology team online. In most cases, you can get an opinion from one of our specialists in just five to seven business days, without the hassle and headache of mailing medical records and imaging studies.
Head and Neck Cancer Specialists in Phoenix, Arizona
Our oncology expertise extends beyond the nervous system. We have expert head and neck surgeons that specialise in:
- Surgical treatment for cancers of the mouth, tongue, jaw, esophagus, throat, nose, and sinuses
- Reconstructive and flap procedures to restore function and appearance after head and neck tumor surgery
In addition, the Barrow Head and Neck Cancer Program enlists a full complement of medical specialists who treat all aspects of head and neck cancer, including:
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Neuro-Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation specialists and physical therapists
- Medical oncologists
- Radiation oncologists
Ivy Brain Tumor Center
The Ivy Brain Tumor Center was founded to provide new avenues of hope for patients and families struggling with aggressive brain tumors. Our philosophy is to deploy scientifically rigorous and technologically advanced clinical trials that rapidly evaluate new therapeutic regimens and are tailored to exploit and attack individual tumor characteristics. Our mission is to help as many brain tumor patients as possible through our accelerated clinical trials. To achieve this goal, we invite patients and providers to submit a trial screening and consider entry into our early-phase clinical trial program.
Individualized Care
At Barrow Neurological Institute, we don’t believe in a “cookbook” approach to brain tumor treatment. There is no single recipe that’s best for everyone. Every tumor is unique, as is each patient. We employ personalized medicine, such as tumor profiling to look for specific gene mutations, which can help us determine the most effective therapies available for you.
Focused on Quality of Life
We believe cancer treatment should not only be about extending life; it should also be focused on optimizing quality of life. As part of the largest neuroscience center in the country, our patients have access to a variety of rehabilitation specialists, including speech-language pathologists. Our physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians and therapists can help you maximize your independence and return to a fulfilling life with renewed self esteem.
What We Treat
Acoustic Neuroma
Astrocytoma
Brain Metastases
Colloid Cyst
Glioblastoma Multiforme
Meningioma
Metastatic Spine Cancer
Neurologic Complications of Cancer
Spine Tumors
Just to be living in Arizona and to have one of the best places in the world here that we can drive to—We're lucky.
When a doctor tells you that you only have a few months to live, most people believe it. I never did, and I think that’s partly why I’m alive today. I knew I was getting the best medical care, and I was going to be defiant and survive.
Tests, Treatments & Procedures
Cyberknife
Endoscopic Cranial Surgery
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
Neurology
Neurosurgery
Radiosurgery
Skull Base Surgery
Stereotactic Laser Ablation
Transsphenoidal Surgery
Specialists
Location
Videos
Brain Tumor Survivor & Caregiver Symposium
Going the Distance: A Story of Long-Term Survivorship
Neurosurgery
Neuro-Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Grit, Grace, and Brain Tumors: An Inside Outside Perspective
Clinical Trials
Informing Health: A Guide to Healthcare Information
About Barrow Neurological Institute
Minding What Matters Most
