| | Surgery may be performed under local anesthesia and sedation, during which the patient is awake, if the tumor is located very close to important functional areas of the brain. A test called a PET scan, which measures glucose metabolism within various areas of the brain, may also be used to identify important functional areas of the brain that should be avoided during surgery.
Surgery to remove a brain tumor was performed for the first time in 1884. Despite the refinement of techniques and the development of anesthesia and sterile operating procedures, mortality remained high because after surgery the brain would often swell, resulting in death. Steroids, introduced in the 1960s, dramatically improved survival after brain surgery by controlling this swelling. Other drugs used to treat swelling of the brain include diuretics, mannitol, and dexamethasone. For patients with inoperable tumors, these drugs are often used to reduce symptoms. Anti-seizure drugs may be given to these patients as well.
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