Although many hospitals offer excellent care for patients diagnosed with a brain tumor, it is important to seek out a specialized brain tumor center or clinic if one has a rare or malignant tumor requiring complicated treatment. Some medical centers are simply not equipped to handle the magnitude of a brain tumor diagnosis. In this case, it may be worthwhile to contact one of the brain tumor centers listed below.
These centers offer comprehensive services and provide patients with state-of-the-art care and treatment options. Brain tumor centers and clinics usually offer specialized support services for brain tumor patients as well as access to brain tumor support networks, medical social workers, and case managers. This can be an important supplement to your medical care.
Additionally, a comprehensive list of cancer centers can be found on the website of the National Cancer Institute. Although the NCI does not list treatment centers by cancer type, one can call individual centers and ask if they have a brain tumor center or clinic. Brain tumor centers usually treat all types of brain tumors, including those that are benign and metastatic. Virtual Trials also provides a national listing of brain tumor centers that have treated at least 50 brain tumor patients in the past year.
In general, it is a good idea to get a second opinion. A second opinion may offer insight about other options that are available and ultimately allows one to make the most informed decision regarding a treatment plan. Since many patients do not have the financial means to travel to a distant treatment center, a second opinion can often be obtained by electronically sending or mailing your scans and various reports to a doctor at a specialized brain tumor center. Some centers may charge for this service, but the charge is usually not very high.
It is important to remember that skilled brain tumor clinicians can be found throughout the country. With some research and by asking the right questions, you may find that you do not need to travel far from home to get skilled medical care.
Brain Tumor Centers in the United States
Alabama
University of Alabama - Brain Tumor Treatment & Research Program
Birmingham, AL
Neurosurgery Department: 205.934.7170
Neuro-Oncology: 205.934.1432
www.braintumor.uab.edu
Arizona
Barrow Neurological Institute
St. Joseph's Hospital
Phoenix, AZ
602.406.3181
www.thebni.com
California
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute
Los Angeles, CA
310.423.7900
www.cedars-sinai.edu/nsi
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Brain Tumor Program - Department of Neurosurgery
Los Angeles, CA
310.825.5111
neurosun.medsch.ucla.edu/programs/braintumor/braintumor_intro.html
University of California, San Francisco
Department of Neurological Surgery
San Francisco, CA
415.353.7500
www.neurosurgery.medschool.ucsf.edu
Colorado
Colorado Neurological Institute
Englewood, CO
303.788.4600
www.thecni.org/braintumor
Florida
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
Neuro-Oncology Program
Tampa, FL
813.979.3980
www.moffitt.usf.edu
Georgia
Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University
Neurosurgery Department
Atlanta, GA
888.WINSHIP or 404.778.3444
www.winshipcancerinstitute.org
Illinois
Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN)
Brain Tumor Program
Chicago, IL
800.411.CINN or 773.250.0400
www.cinn.org/ibsc/braintumor/braintumorhome.html
Evanston Hospital (Evanston Northwestern Healthcare)
Neuro-Oncology Program
Evanston, IL
847.570.1808
www.enh.org/healthandwellness/clinicalservices/neurosciences/index.asp
Maryland
John Hopkins University
Department of Neurology/Neurosurgery
Baltimore, MD
410.955.9441
www.neuro.jhmi.edu
UMM Greenebaum Cancer Center
Brain Tumor Center
Baltimore, MD
800.492.5538 or 410.328.7904
www.umm.edu/cancer
National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute of Health (NIH)
Brain Tumor Clinic
Bethesda, MD
Patient care coordinator: 301.402.6298
home.ccr.cancer.gov/nob
Massachusetts
Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Brain Tumor Clinic
Boston, MA
617.732.6810
www.brighamandwomens.org/neurosurgery
Children’s Hospital Boston
Brain Tumor Program
Boston, MA
617.355.6388
www.childrenshospital.org
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Center for Neuro-Oncology
Boston, MA
617.632.2166 (New Patient Line)
www.dana-farber.org/pat/adult/treatment/neurologiccancer/
Massachusetts General Hospital
Brain Tumor Center
Boston, MA
617.724.8770
brain.mgh.harvard.edu
Michigan
Henry Ford Hospital
Department of Neurosurgery
Detroit, MI
313.916.2241
www.henryfordhealth.org
Minnesota
Brain Tumor Center of Minnesota
Affiliated with Fairview Health Services, University of Minnesota Academic Health Center and University of Minnesota Physicians
Minneapolis, MN
Toll-free: 866.291.7403
Local Twin Cities Area: 612.672.7295
braintumor.fairview.org
Mayo Clinic
Neurosurgery Department
Rochester, MN
507.284.8008
www.mayoclinic.org/neurosurgery-rst/
New Jersey
New Jersey Neuroscience Institute at JFK Medical Center
Children’s Neurological Center, Neuro-Oncology Department, and Adult Neurosurgery
Edison, NJ
732.321.7000
www.njneuro.org
New York
Beth Israel Medical Center
The Hyman-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery (INN)
New York, NY
Adult Neurosurgery: 212.870.7960
Pediatric Neurosurgery: 212.870.9600
www.nyneurosurgery.org
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Neurology Department
New York, NY
212.639.7123
www.mskcc.org
New York Presbyterian (Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center)
Neurological Institute
Department of Neurosurgery
New York, NY
212.305.7056
cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/nsg
NYU Medical Center
Neurosurgery Department
New York, NY
212.263.6414
www.med.nyu.edu/neurosurgery
North Carolina
Duke University Medical System
The Brain Tumor Center at Duke
Durham, NC
Pediatrics: 919.668.2485
Adults: 919.684.5301
800.ASK.DUKE
www.cancer.duke.edu/btc/
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, NC
Neurosurgery: 336.716.4081
Radiation Oncology: 336.716.4647
www.wfubmc.edu
Ohio
The Cleveland Clinic
Brain Tumor Institute
Cleveland, OH
800.223.2273 or 216.444.5670
www.clevelandclinic.org/neuroscience
Pennsylvania
Thomas Jefferson University Medical Center
Department of Neurosurgery
Philadelphia, PA
215.955.7000
www.jeffersonhospital.org/neurosurg
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Brain Tumor Center
Pittsburgh, PA
412.692.2600
neurpsurgery.pitt.edu/braintumor
Texas
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Brain and Spine Center
Houston, TX
800.392.1611 or 713.792.6161
www.mdanderson.org/care_centers/brainspinal/
San Antonio Center for Neurological Sciences
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX
210.567.5625
www.uthscsa.edu/neurosurgery
Tennessee
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department of Neurosurgery
Nashville, Tennessee
615.322.7417
www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/surgery/neurosrg
Washington
University of Washington Medical Center
Neurosurgery Clinic
Seattle, Washington
206.543.3572
www.uwmedicine.org
Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School
Neurosurgery Department
Madison, Wisconsin
608.263.1410
neurosurg.wisc.edu
Brain Tumor Centers in Canada
Ontario
Gerry & Nancy Pencer Brain Tumor Centre
Princess Margaret Hospital
Toronto, Ontario
416.946.2240
www.uhn.ca/programs/pencer
Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario
416.813.8811
www.sickkids.ca/BTRC
Western Hospital
Toronto, Ontario
416.603.2581
unh.on.ca
Quebec
Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital
Montreal, Quebec
Neurology: 514.398.6644
Neurosurgery: 514.398.1935
www.mni.mcgill.ca
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