An ependymoma is a tumor of glial cells that develops in the region of the ventricles of the brain, less often in its parenchyma, or outside the central nervous system. The tumor is more common in children than in adults. Treatment usually requires neurosurgery and radiation therapy. You can go to German hospitals to treat ependymoma with a low risk of recurrence and without any complications. On the Booking Health website, you can find out prices and choose a medical care program.
Content
- Treatment principles
- Surgical procedures
- Radiation therapy
Grade 1 ependymoma is treated with surgery. In the case of partial tumor removal or tumors of 2-3 grades, surgery is usually followed by radiation therapy. Sometimes radiotherapy may become the main treatment method if surgery is contraindicated for a patient. Chemotherapy is an uncommon treatment option.
You should seek medical attention from the University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, the Vivantes Auguste-Viktoria Hospital Berlin, or the Catholic Clinic Koblenz-Montabaur.
You are welcome to use the services of the medical tourism agency Booking Health. We will take care of all the arrangements for your trip. We will help you choose a hospital, resolve all issues with the administration, and make an appointment. We will also book hotel and airline tickets for you, meet you in Germany, and take you to the hospital by car.
Treatment principles
Treatment of ependymoma in Germany involves surgery and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy can sometimes be used as well, but its effectiveness has not been proven yet. The method is mainly used for high-grade cancer.
There are no standard approaches to ependymoma treatment. General recommendations are difficult to develop because the tumor is very rare. It accounts for only 1.7% of all tumors affecting the central nervous system.
Ependymomas come in three grades. The first grade of the tumor is relatively benign. If such a tumor is completely removed, any additional radiation therapy will not be required. The second and third grades of the tumor recur more often. After surgery, patients usually undergo radiation therapy to prevent the return of the disease or to increase the relapse-free period.
Surgical procedures
Surgery is considered the main treatment for ependymomas. Neurosurgical procedures abroad are safe and have a minimal risk of causing damage to functionally significant areas of the brain. At the same time, in most cases, doctors manage to remove the neoplasm completely, which reduces the risk of recurrence.
Hospitals in developed countries offer modern equipment and the latest technology, which increase the efficiency and safety of neurosurgical operations. Doctors use powerful surgical microscopes, neuronavigation systems, and, if necessary, intraoperative imaging and functional studies. Neurosurgeons can safely remove even deep-seated tumors, avoiding any damage to the most important areas of the brain.
Patients undergo neurological rehabilitation following the operation. It helps to relieve the symptoms of a neurological deficit and return to normal life in the shortest possible time.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy can be used in the following cases:
- partial removal of a benign ependymoma;
- adjuvant treatment after total or partial removal of an intermediate and malignant ependymoma;
- as a stand-alone treatment method for small and asymptomatic ependymomas, which are too risky to remove;
- as a stand-alone method of local control of any tumors if the operation is contraindicated.
Irradiation stops the growth of the tumor and reduces its size, but it does not completely disappear, and the final results can only be achieved after a few months. This is the main drawback of radiation therapy as compared to surgery, which instantly eliminates the tumor and relieves the patient of the associated symptoms. Irradiation is therefore rarely used as a stand-alone method, even for benign neoplasms. This is usually an adjunct to surgery to reduce the risk of ependymoma recurrence.
Germany offers the latest options for radiotherapy, which allow delivering radiation to the tumor very precisely, avoiding any damage to healthy tissues. If the tumor is located far from the functionally important areas of the brain, it can be irradiated in one or several sessions using high-precision radiosurgical units. In addition, several specialized centers in Germany use proton therapy. This is the safest method of radiation therapy for brain tumors, and it is considered the best method for children.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to undergo your diagnostics and treatment of ependymoma in Germany. On our website, you can find out the cost of treatment and make an appointment for your medical care program at the best price. Our specialists will help you select the most suitable clinics in Germany and arrange your trip.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Sergey Pashchenko and Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
National Library of Medicine
Google Scholar
