General care of patients with cancer involving the central nervous system

The management of patients with malignancies involving the central nervous system (CNS) involves health care professionals from many disciplines. Physicians delivering primary care and emergency medicine are often the first consulted when patients present with signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, change in mental status, focal deficits, or seizures. Thereafter, neuroradiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropathologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, specialists in rehabilitation medicine, social workers, and nurses work together to determine an accurate diagnosis, initiate appropriate therapies, and provide optimal care. Unfortunately, despite aggressive therapies, most of these cancers prove fatal in a relatively short period of time. This requires that high quality palliative and pastoral care play an important role of the management of these patients and their families.