Support for Metastatic Brain Tumors

For some people, treatment may remove or destroy brain metastases. In others, the cancer may go away and return later, despite the best care. NYU Langone doctors provide ongoing treatment for people with recurrent brain metastases to prevent the cancer from spreading. They also offer support services through Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Our oncologists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and rehabilitation physicians and therapists are committed to helping you manage any needs that may arise during and after treatment.

Follow-Up Care

After treatment for brain metastases, NYU Langone doctors monitor people closely through regular follow-up visits. During these appointments, doctors ask questions about any problems you may be having. Specialists may perform a physical exam, lab tests, a neurological exam, or imaging tests to look for signs of a recurrence or treatment side effects.

Most people visit their care team every three to six months during the first two years after treatment, then at least yearly thereafter.

Supportive and Integrative Care

The supportive care team at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center provides ongoing treatment for any pain or discomfort that brain metastases or treatments may cause. Pain management may include the use of medication or integrative therapies.

Our integrative health services include acupuncture, which may relieve cancer-related pain and the dry mouth and fatigue caused by radiation therapy. To help reduce stress, our specialists offer massage therapy.

Psychological and Social Support

Support groups and one-on-one counseling sessions with a psycho-oncologist, a healthcare provider trained to address the psychological needs of people with cancer, are available at Perlmutter Cancer Center. Counseling can often help manage any stress or anxiety you may be experiencing. Social workers are also available to help you address any financial matters that may arise during treatment.

Cognitive Rehabilitation

Depending on the location of brain metastases and the type of treatment prescribed, some people may have problems with cognition, or the ability to think or process information. At NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation, our rehabilitation doctors, neurologists, and psychologists can help you regain cognitive function or adapt to any challenges you may be experiencing.

Physical and Occupational Therapy

Brain tumors can affect balance and movement. After an evaluation by a Rusk Rehabilitation doctor, physical therapy may be prescribed to address these challenges. An exercise-based program maximizes the body’s ability to compensate for a loss of balance.

Occupational therapy can also be prescribed to help you return to your usual activities, such as getting dressed, preparing a meal, or balancing a bank account.

Visual Rehabilitation

Brain tumors can occur near the optic nerve, which runs from the eye to the brain and enables people to see. These tumors, or their treatments, can interfere with vision.

NYU Langone doctors—including rehabilitation physicians, ophthalmologists, neurologists, and neuro-ophthalmologists—collaborate to help people adapt to changes in vision or learn how to compensate for vision loss. Therapists at Rusk Rehabilitation can help you achieve independence in all of your usual activities.

Clinical Trials

People with brain metastases may benefit from a clinical trial, in which experts study promising new therapies. NYU Langone doctors have an active research program dedicated to investigating new diagnostic techniques and medications that could prove helpful for treating brain metastases. You and your doctor can discuss whether a clinical trial is right for you.