Support for Skull Base Tumors

After treatment, doctors at NYU Langone develop a follow-up care plan customized to your needs. You may need to see your doctor every few months for the first couple of years after treatment. During these appointments, the doctor may order imaging tests, such as MRI scans, to ensure the tumor has not returned.

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

Supportive and Integrative Care

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

Our integrative health services include acupuncture, which may relieve pain associated with the tumor and the dry mouth and fatigue caused by radiation. Yoga and massage therapy can help reduce stress.

Psychological and Social Support

Support groups and one-on-one counseling sessions with a psycho-oncologist, a healthcare provider who is 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 available to help you address any financial matters, such as insurance reimbursement challenges, that may arise while receiving care.

Cognitive Rehabilitation

Sometimes treatments such as radiation therapy may result in changes in cognition, or the ability to think and process information clearly. Doctors at NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation can evaluate you and prescribe a rehabilitation program implemented by psychologists to help you regain cognitive function or adapt to any challenges you may be experiencing.

Speech and Swallowing Rehabilitation

Skull base tumors or the treatment for them can affect the ability to speak and swallow due to damage or compression of the nerves responsible for these functions. Doctors at Rusk Rehabilitation can prescribe speech and swallowing therapy to help restore these important abilities. Therapists can teach you exercise programs for the mouth, tongue, and voice box.

If swallowing is challenging, your doctor may recommend a nutritional assessment. Nutritionists at Perlmutter Cancer Center can develop a dietary plan to ensure you are getting the nutrients you need in easy-to-swallow foods as you recover from skull base tumor treatment.

Physical and Occupational Therapy

Skull base tumors and their treatments, including surgery and radiation therapy, can affect balance and the way a person walks. After an evaluation by doctors at Rusk Rehabilitation, physical therapy may be prescribed to address these challenges. Specialists may recommend an exercised-based therapy program that maximizes the body’s ability to counteract a loss of balance.

Occupational therapy may also help people who need assistance returning to the activities of daily living, such as dressing, preparing a meal, or using a computer.

Visual Rehabilitation

Skull base tumors near the optic nerve can interfere with vision. Our team of doctors—which includes rehabilitation physicians, ophthalmologists, neurologists, and neuro-ophthalmologists—can help people adapt to changes in vision or learn how to compensate for vision loss. Therapists at Rusk Rehabilitation help you achieve the highest possible level of independence.