Skull-base tumors are caused by the growth of abnormal cells in the tissues of the brain. Brain tumors can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancerous).
Cancerous tumors in the brain include tumors that spread to the brain from their site of origin in other organs. These are called metastatic tumors. When lung cancer, for example, spreads to the brain, it is called lung cancer that has metastasized to the brain.
The following are examples of the skull base tumors treated by the OSUCCC – James skull-base team and the methods used to treat the tumors.
Malignant tumors
Malignant skull-base tumors are cancerous. They also have other key characteristics, including that they grow quickly and irregularly, and they often invade surrounding tissue and can spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body, making them dangerous.
Because of this, we need to be aggressive in our treatment plan, which could include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or a combination of these therapies to try to prevent the spread of the disease.
Here are some of the types of malignant skull-base tumors we treat:- Adenocarcinoma
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma
- Olfactory neuroblastoma (esthesioneuroblastoma)
- Chordoma
- Chondrosarcoma
- Hemangiopericytoma
- Nasopharyngeal cancer
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Sarcoma
There are several other forms of skull-base tumors that we also specialize in treating. These include orbital tumors as well as rare, yet aggressive, sinonasal cancers.
Orbital tumors
Orbital tumors are abnormal growths that form in the optic pathway — the nerves that send signals between the brain and the eye — or in the delicate layers of tissue that surround the eye. Usually slow growing, these tumors may be malignant or benign. There are many types of orbital tumors: some that begin in or around the orbit and others that metastasize — or spread — from another part of the skull base or body.
What are the symptoms of orbital tumors?
Signs and symptoms of orbital tumors can vary based on the type, stage, precise location and individual genetic makeup of the patient’s tumor.
Symptoms may include:- Blurred vision, double vision or periods of vision loss
- Bulging or protrusion of the eye
- Pain
- Pressure
Having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have an orbital tumor. But if you have any of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor immediately.
Are you at risk?
An orbital tumor risk factor is anything that increases your risk of getting this disease. Not everyone with risk factors will develop the disease but having certain risk factors may increase your chance of developing a tumor.
These factors may be environmental, behavioral or genetic. For example, people who have been diagnosed with certain types of skull base tumors may be at a higher risk for developing an orbital tumor, or having the tumor extend into the orbit. People with a strong skin cancer history may be at risk for a skin cancer of the cheek or eyelids to spread into the orbit.
What are the treatment options?
There are many ways to treat orbital tumors. The OSUCCC – James team of nationally and internationally recognized experts determines the best treatment for each patient based on their specific cancer and genetic makeup, as well as its location and its stage. Patients may receive one treatment or a combination of treatments, making every effort to protect and preserve functional vision in the involved eye if possible. At times, chemotherapy may be used before providing definitive surgical or radiation treatment to shrink the tumor and increase the chances of preserving functional vision.
Sinonasal cancer
These are cancers that develop in the nasal cavity and in the sinuses near the nose. The sinuses are open spaces in the bones around the nose. They are lined with cells that produce mucus that keeps the inside of the nose moist during breathing. The sinuses are found in the lower forehead above the nose, in the cheekbones on either side of the nose and behind the nose in the center of the skull.
Two types of rare and aggressive sinonasal cancers we specialize in treating include sinonasal neuroendocrine carcinoma (less than 3% of sinonasal cancers) and sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, for which we have developed effective chemotherapy and treatment protocols.
What are symptoms of sinonasal cancer?
Sinonasal cancers are often not diagnosed until later stages, because symptoms tend to mimic those of other more common, benign sinus conditions, such as rhinosinusitis or rhinitis.
Those symptoms may include:- Blocked sinuses and nasal passages
- Ongoing sinus pain and pressure
- Runny nose
- Nosebleeds
- Headaches
- Eye pain
- Numbness of the face or cheek
- Loose upper teeth
- Changes in vision or bulging of the eye
Having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have a sinonasal tumor, but if you have one or a combination of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor immediately.
What are the treatment options?
The OSUCCC – James team of nationally and internationally recognized experts determine the best treatment for your based on your specific cancer and genetic makeup as well as its location and its stage.
Possible treatments could include radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of both. Surgery, which could be an open craniotomy or the less invasive endoscopic endonasal surgery, might also be an option to treat these types of cancer.
Benign tumors
Benign tumors are noncancerous. Key characteristics of benign skull-base tumors include that they are slow growing and they don’t invade surrounding tissue or other parts of the body.
Treatment for benign tumors generally only happens when the tumor compresses on other parts of the body causing symptoms or it turns malignant. Surgery is usually recommended in those cases.
Here are some types of benign skull-base tumors we treat:- Cerebrospinal fluid leak (also called CSF leak)
- Chondroma
- Pituitary gland tumor
- Craniopharyngioma
- Hemangiomas and other vascular malformations
- Inverting papilloma
- Juvenile angiofibroma
- Meningioma
- Mucocele
- Nasal polyps
- Odontoid diseases
- Trigeminal schwannoma
- Vestibular schwannoma (also called acoustic neuroma)
Related Resources
Skull Base Research Center
Skull Base Tumor Treatment
Skull Base Tumor Treatment Team
Personalized Treatment Giving Hope to Skull Base Tumor Patients