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Treatment
   The treatment for meningioma depends on a number of things, including your general health and the size and position of the tumour. The results of your tests will enable your doctor to decide on the best type of treatment for you. There are some risks associated with treatment to the brain and your doctor will discuss these with you.
   If the pressure in the skull is raised, it is important to reduce it before any treatment is given for brain tumours. Steroid drugs may be used to reduce swelling around the tumour. If the raised pressure is due to a build-up of CSF a tube (shunt) may have to be inserted to drain off the excess fluid.

Surgery- Where possible, surgery is the main treatment for meningioma and in many cases the tumour can be removed completely with no complications. Occasionally, the position of a tumour makes it impossible, or too risky, to remove surgically. If surgery is not possible, or if it is but there is a likelyhood that some suspect cells will still be remaining following surgery, your doctor will discuss the possibility of other types of treatment (listed below) with you.

Radiotherapy- Radiotherapy treatment is the use of high-energy rays to destroy the cancer cells. It may be used after surgery for malignant meningioma to reduce the chance of the tumour coming back. It may be used after surgery for benign meningiomas that cannot be completely removed.
If surgery is not possible, radiotherapy may be used alone. Sometimes a technique known as Stereotactic radio-surgery may be used, in which hundreds of beams of radiotherapy are aimed at the tumour in a single session. This is a very accurate treatment and is used mainly for smaller tumours.

Chemotherapy- Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is very rarely used for treating meningioma although research continues into developing this form of treatment.