Brain cancer
Overview
What is brain cancer
Brain cancer is broken out into primary or secondary tumors. Primary brain cancers are tumors that originated in the brain, whereas secondary brain cancer originated elsewhere in the body and metastasized in the brain. There are over 120 classifications of brain tumors such as gliomas, meningiomas, astrocytomas, glioblastomas, craniopharyngiomas, cerebral lymphomas, pituitary tumors and oligodendrogliomas.
How common is brain cancer
There are estimated to be 23,800 new cases of brain and other nervous system cancers in the United States in 2017, which represents 1.4% of all cancers.1
Questions regarding your brain cancer therapy
You can reach the Accredo oncology care team, anytime, day or night, seven days a week by phone or online.
24-hour Customer Service Center
1. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/brain.html, accessed 07/21/2017
Symptoms
What are the symptoms of brain cancer
Because the brain affects so many different organs and functions, symptoms of brain cancer can manifest differently, depending on factors such as the location, origin, and size of the tumor. Headaches, weakness, clumsiness, vision problems, seizures, vomiting, and mental status changes are examples of symptoms that may occur.
How is it diagnosed
CT scans, MRI scans, and tissue biopsy are typically the tests used to diagnose brain cancer.
Medications
Brain cancer
Accredo, a specialty pharmacy for brain cancer, dispenses specialty and non-specialty brain cancer medications including (but not limited to):
| Drug | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Afinitor® (everolimus) | Novartis |
| Avastin® (bevacizumab) | Genentech |
| Temodar® (temozolomide) | Merck |
Accredo also dispenses traditional chemotherapy medications as well as supportive care medications ordered by your prescriber that are not listed above.
Financing Your Care
Financial assistance coordination may be available to help with your medication costs, including manufacturer and community programs. Accredo representatives are available to help find a program that may work for you.
Financial Guidance
Life-saving specialty medication can be expensive. Learn how the Accredo teams help individuals find ways to afford the medication they need to survive in this video.
Find Support
There are many organizations that support research and advocacy for cancer. See below for a few of those organizations
Brain Cancer Organizations
- American Brain Tumor Association
- National Brain Tumor Society
- Brain Tumor Foundation
- Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
- Brain Tumor Alliance
- Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation
- Brain Science Foundation
Cancer Support Organizations
- American Cancer Society
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Association of Cancer Online Resources
- Cancer Support Community
- Livestrong Foundation
- OncoLink
- National Foundation for Cancer Research
- Prevent Cancer Foundation
- Conquer Cancer Foundation
- Inspire.com
- CancerCare
- Cancer GRACE
- National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network
- Patient Advocate Foundation
- Children's Brain Tumor Family Foundation
Government Organizations
Meet the Team
Accredo’s oncology care team is dedicated to serving you and we understand the complexity of your condition. Our specialty-trained clinicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer any questions.
Why We Do It
Accredo supports patients with chronic and complex conditions and helps them live their best life. Watch our video to learn why we do what we do for our patients.