There are many different types of brain tumours. Only a few types benefit from chemotherapy and the decision to recommend chemotherapy for a patient has to be taken on a case by case basis. The choice of  chemotherapy drugs depends on the characteristics of the individual patient, the personal experience of your doctor, current scientific evidence and logistic of the oncology clinic.  Advice and side effects of some of the two most commonly used regimens  can be obtained by clicking on the following headings:

Temozolamide

PCV

The aim of chemotherapy is not to cure, but to control or shrink the tumour especially if it is causing a specific symptom. The aim of this treatment is to improve the quality of life; therefore the side effects from the chemotherapy should not outweigh the benefits of shrinking the tumour.

Your oncologist would require a full re-assessment of your disease after two or three cycles, to check whether chemotherapy is working effectively. Re-assessment can be a combination of factors. First and foremost the patients symptoms should have improved, secondly the signs of disability on examination should have improved. Thirdly, response could be seen on a CT or MRI scan. If the tumour is not responding, the chemotherapy regime could be stopped or changed.

Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your individual circumstances. Cancerbackup has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the cancer journey.