VIDEO: Understanding neuroanatomy key to approaching brain tumors

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It's very, very important to pay attention to what we call neuroanatomy, which is the anatomy of the brain. Because different loci in the brain controls certain neurologic functions, and even circuits, connections between different foci. We're learning more and more about neural circuits and connectivity of the brain, so it's extremely important.

And the location of a tumor is what really produces the unique neurological symptoms and signs that a patient will have. For example, there may be in most individuals, right-handed individuals, speeches, in particular areas of the left side of the brain, so if the tumor or the swelling of the tumor impacts that it can affect language in a patient. And location's very important for planning surgery.

There are some areas of the brain that are very difficult to operate on, and some areas it really impossible to operate on because the neurologic injury by operating in these areas would be too much for a patient. So anatomy, neuroanatomy, really, really does matter in terms of what our patients experience in terms of symptoms and signs. It can sometimes limit what our surgeons can do in terms of approaching and removing a tumor.