What is the preferred treatment for brain tumor headaches?
The definite treatment for brain tumor headache is often surgical resection. In the interim, medical management including steroids can minimize the vasogenic edema and increased intracranial pressure associated with many brain tumors. In an acute setting, mannitol and hypertonic saline can also provide relief from headache by also reducing intracranial pressure.
Radiation, an adjuvant therapy for brain tumor, can worsen headache through inflammation and increased swelling secondary to tissue necrosis. In this setting, steroids can minimize the inflammation and edema associated with necrosis.
