Ependymoma Care - Mayo Clinic in Arizona

Surgery is the primary treatment for ependymoma. Treatment options may also include radiation therapy—including proton beam, radiotherapy, chemotherapy—or clinical trials.

Mayo Clinic uses 7-Tesla MRI. This imaging system uses a stronger magnetic field to produce more detailed images of the body's interior. Detailed brain scans help Mayo Clinic care teams diagnose and treat patients with brain tumors. This advanced imaging technology is key to ensuring patients receive an accurate diagnosis to guide treatment.

Mayo Clinic neurosurgeons have pioneered surgical techniques to help treat ependymoma. And with our state-of-the-art research and laboratory facilities, Mayo Clinic experts are constantly seeking new medical knowledge and innovations to help children and adults with ependymoma.

This image displays the radiology scanned imaging from a 3 Tesla MRI. The 3 Tesla MRI, while using a less powerful magnetic field compared to the 7 Tesla MRI, still provides clear and detailed images of the body's interior. It is commonly used in clinical settings to diagnose and monitor various medical conditions, offering valuable insights for patient care and treatment planning. However, the clarity of the images produced by the 3 Tesla MRI is not as high as that of the 7 Tesla MRI, which can impact the level of detail visible in the scans.

Ependymoma treatment options include:

Surgery. Brain surgeons, called neurosurgeons, work to remove as much of the ependymoma as possible. The goal is to remove the entire tumor. Sometimes the ependymoma is located near sensitive brain or spinal tissue that makes that too risky.
If the entire tumor is removed during surgery, additional treatment may not be needed. If some tumor remains, the neurosurgeon may recommend another operation to try to remove the rest of the tumor. Additional treatments, such as radiation therapy, may be recommended for cancerous tumors or if all of the tumor can't be removed.

Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams to kill tumor cells. The energy can come from X-rays, protons or other sources. During radiation therapy, a machine directs beams of energy to specific points to kill the tumor cells there.
Radiation therapy may be recommended after surgery to help prevent cancerous tumors from coming back. It also may be recommended if neurosurgeons weren't able to remove the tumor completely.
Some special types of radiation therapy help focus the radiation treatment on the tumor cells. These special types of radiation may reduce the risk of damage to nearby healthy cells. Examples include conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy and proton therapy.

Radiosurgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery is an intense form of radiation treatment. It aims beams of radiation from many angles at the tumor. Each beam isn't very powerful. But the point where the beams meet gets a very large dose of radiation that kills the tumor cells.

Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses medicines to kill tumor cells. Chemotherapy isn't often used to treat ependymoma. It might be an option in certain situations, such as when the tumor grows back despite surgery and radiation.

Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses medicines that attack specific chemicals in the tumor cells. By blocking these chemicals, targeted treatments can cause tumor cells to die. Targeted therapy might be an option to treat an ependymoma that comes back after treatment.

Clinical trials. Clinical trials are studies of new treatments. These studies offer a chance to try the latest treatment options, but the risk of side effects may not be known. Talk with your healthcare team if you're interested in a clinical trial.

Advanced Diagnosis & Treatment with Mayo Clinic Ependymoma Experts

A team of experts, focused on you.

Advanced technology and innovation.

Treatment

Nationally recognized for expertise.

Most insurance plans accepted.

Contact us to request an appointment.