Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center

Our expert physicians are readily available to offer second opinions for patients from all over the country, and rapidly accommodate our patients for prompt evaluation and initiation of care. We also offer an extensive program to improve patients’ quality of life before, during, and after treatment, including psychosocial support, rehabilitation for memory impairment, and other resources.

We use state-of-the-art technology to diagnose brain tumors with detailed accuracy. Three Tesla MRIs offer highly sophisticated testing, such as functional MRI, MR spectroscopy, and positron emission tomography. Experienced neuroradiologists read all brain scans and evaluate the images for diagnosis. Importantly, all brain tumors that are biopsied or removed at our program undergo whole exome sequencing, the most advanced technique available for tumor characterization, which can target the vulnerabilities of individual tumors.

Our primary goal is to remove as much of a brain tumor as safely as possible, while preserving brain function. Our highly skilled and dedicated neurosurgeons employ state-of-the-art techniques, including functional mapping and neurophysiology monitoring, which are sophisticated techniques that allow surgeons to protect critical brain structures during tumor removal. Smilow Cancer Hospital’s intraoperative MRI suite is one of only a few in the world and the only in the state of Connecticut, and allows neurosurgeons to take real-time images during surgery. Following surgery, our specialized ICUs are equipped with techniques to ensure a smooth recovery.

Collaboration with specialized neuroanesthesiologists is critical for these more technically challenging microsurgical procedures to be performed, allowing tumors previously declared “inoperable” to be safely removed. In addition to unparalleled surgical expertise, the use of intraoperative ultrasound and intraoperative MRI, the latter being the state’s only MRI located within the operating room, provides our neurosurgeons with real-time feedback, so they can ensure as much tumor can be removed during surgery. Smilow Cancer Hospital’s unique intraoperative hybrid angiography suite also allows our surgeons to decrease the tumor’s blood supply making surgery even safer.

Our surgeons are also one of the first groups nationally to offer a minimally invasive treatment for brain tumors known as Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy. Through a small scalp incision, a laser fiber is placed into the center of a brain tumor to supply heat treatment to the tumor under continual MRI guidance. Patients treated with this technique can often be sent home the day after surgery with minimal discomfort and almost no interruption to other cancer treatment.

Many brain tumors require chemotherapy, targeted therapies, or other medical treatments, often combined with radiation therapy and surgery. Our team of neuro-oncologists have extensive expertise in delivering oncology treatments, with a focus on achieving optimal efficacy and safety. Each patient receives an individualized and coordinated treatment plan, taking into consideration the tumor type, molecular and genomic information on the tumor, and the patient’s own needs and choices. Additionally, our patients have access to cutting-edge Yale clinical trials exploring multiple novel strategies to fight brain cancer.

As one of the first Radiation Oncology departments in the country, the Yale Department of Therapeutic Radiology has played a foundational role in the national development of radiotherapy as a cancer treatment. Building on this long tradition of excellence, our patients have access to radiation therapy through many cutting-edge platforms, including the Novalis Tx linear accelerator with BrainLab/ExacTrac guidance, and the Leksell Gamma Knife Icon. Our Gamma Knife program is regarded as a national leader in the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors.

In addition to multi-institutional clinical trials, we offer unique bench-to-bedside clinical trials for patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors. In close collaborations with our Neuro-Oncology team, patients receiving radiation therapy at Yale have access to clinical trials aimed at improving treatment efficacy through novel drug combinations.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) is a special form of radiation therapy used to treat benign and malignant brain tumors, blood vessel abnormalities of the brain and some neurologic conditions. Because the technologies used for SRS enable physicians and technicians to focus delivery accurately within millimeters, precise doses of radiation are delivered directly and only to the targeted area. Sometimes the total dose is divided into two or more sessions, called fractions, in order to deliver an adequate total dose to the tumor while minimizing the effect on the rest of the body.

SRS has been shown to offer the following advantages over surgical treatment:

• Minimally invasive—no incision
• An option for some tumors that cannot be reached safely by traditional open surgery
• The ability to perform certain procedures as an outpatient without an overnight stay in the hospital
• A rapid return to normal activities, in most cases

Please refer to our frequently asked questions.

All members of the Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center work together to deliver the most effective, comfortable, and personalized care. Our team covers all the critical components to successfully manage patients with brain tumors including: comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis, genomic profiling of the tumor, the latest treatment options, thorough follow-up, and extensive psychosocial support.

Our supportive care team connects patients and their families to a wide network of essential services including social work, pastoral support, dietary and nutritional counseling, physical therapy, integrative medicine, pain management, and psychosocial support.