Newly Diagnosed?
We Can Help Information for those newly diagnosed with a brain tumor 
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There are no screening tests to detect brain or spinal cord tumors early, so most of these tumors are detected after the patient has symptoms. If a tumor is suspected, physicians may use any of the following tools and techniques to confirm the diagnosis.
Imaging Studies
To diagnose a brain tumor, a doctor usually takes a complete medical history and conducts a neurological examination, and obtains a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain. Contrast-enhanced MRI scans are particularly useful in making accurate diagnoses of all types of brain tumors. Occasionally, a computed tomography (CT) scan is performed. A spinal MRI is used in diagnosing spinal cord cancers.
Positron-emission tomography (PET) scans can also used to evaluate brain tumors. These scans provide a picture of brain activity by measuring levels of a special form of glucose that has a radioactive molecule attached, making it easy to detect. Malignant tissue absorbs more glucose than normal tissue and appears brighter in the PET scan.
Biopsy
To arrive at a definitive diagnosis, physicians may perform a biopsy, in which they remove a small sample of the tumor tissue or may remove the tumor altogether. In rare cases, they may also perform a lumbar puncture (spinal tap), removing a sample of spinal fluid for study.
When a tumor lies deep in the brain or in a critical area, the neurosurgeon performs a needle biopsy. Because the brain is encased in the skull, this can be a delicate procedure. Stereotactic biopsy (a biopsy procedure that uses a computer and a 3-dimensional scanning device to find a tumor site and guide the removal of tissue for examination under a microscope) allows the neurosurgeon to navigate instruments to the precise location of the lesion, disturbing as little normal brain tissue as possible.
Neuroendoscopy is another procedure used for biopsy. This minimally invasive procedure is performed by a neurosurgeon using an endoscope, a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens on its tip. Neuroendoscopy helps reduce surgical trauma by allowing the neurosurgeon to operate through a small opening in the skull.
Because these tumors are extremely diverse, getting an accurate diagnosis is essential to choosing the best treatment. Having an expert neuro-pathologist is critical when determining the exact type and grade, or aggressiveness, of a tumor from the sample obtained in the biopsy.
