Chemotherapy for brain cancer

Chemotherapy has become one of the important treatment methods in the comprehensive treatment of brain cancer. The growth environment and biological behavior of brain cancer are quite different from those of tumors in other parts of the body, so chemotherapy requires special selection of drugs and methods of use.

1. Principles of drug selection

First, we should choose drugs that can pass through the blood-brain barrier, are non-toxic to the central nervous system, and can maintain high concentrations in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid for a long time; secondly, we should choose drugs that are highly lipid-soluble, small molecular weight, and non-ionized; thirdly, for patients with brain metastasis, we can choose drugs based on the pathological type of the primary tumor. Commonly used drugs in clinical practice include carmustine, lomustine, semustine, procarbazine, bleomycin, doxorubicin, vinblastine, teniposide, etc.

2. Side effects and precautions

Increased intracranial pressure may occur after chemotherapy for brain cancer, so chemotherapy should be supplemented with drugs that reduce intracranial pressure. During chemotherapy, the tumor may undergo necrosis and bleeding and may require surgical treatment. Most anti-tumor drugs have an inhibitory effect on bone marrow hematopoietic function, so peripheral blood changes should be checked regularly after taking the medication, and the medication should be stopped if necessary.