Support Services We understand that life is different after a diagnosis of cancer 
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In order to choose the most appropriate treatment for you, the brain tumor must be correctly diagnosed.
There are more than a hundred distinct types of brain and spinal cord cancers.
- To diagnose a brain tumor, a doctor usually takes a complete medical history and conducts a neurological examination, as well as an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan of the brain. In addition, other scans may help determine the specific tumor type and characteristics, such as CT (computed tomography) and PET (positron emission tomography).
- A biopsy of the tumor tissue is also performed to provide a definitive diagnosis. If the tumor is deep inside or in a critical area of the brain, a needle biopsy may be performed. Stereotactic biopsy allows the neurosurgeon to draw a sample from the tumor while disturbing as little normal brain tissue as possible. If you plan to be treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and have not yet had a biopsy, we recommend that you wait and have the biopsy done here.
