Ivy Blog
Members of Your Treatment Team
You may be seen by a number of doctors and staff during your stay in the hospital. Some of them will become members of your treatment team. The following is a description of the role some of your potential team members may have in your care.
Neurosurgeon
The surgeon who performs surgery to remove the brain tumor. The neurosurgeon also works with residents (doctors in training) who help provide care for you while you are in the hospital.
Neuro-oncologist
A neurologist with special training in the medical treatment of brain tumors using medications and chemotherapy. This doctor will closely follow your care and will address any new symptoms or concerns.
Neuropathologist
A doctor who makes the diagnosis of diseases of the brain and nervous system by examining the tissue under a microscope.
Radiation Oncologist
A doctor with special training who treats tumors with radiation. This doctor will also follow your care during radiation treatment sessions and afterward.
Medical Oncologist
A doctor with special training who treats cancers and tumors from other places in the body (such as the lung or breast). Medical oncologists also care for people with primary brain tumors if a neuro-oncologist is not available. If you are diagnosed with a metastatic brain tumor, you will be treated by a medical oncologist.
Nurse Practitioners (NPs)
The NPs at Barrow have special training in the neuroscience field. Their role is to work with doctors and serve as the main contact person on your care team while you are in the hospital. An NP works closely with your neurosurgeon to direct your plan of care and teach you about your disease.
Nurse Navigator
A nurse who is a contact person to help bring you together with your care team after you leave the hospital. The nurse navigator can also help you connect with other sources of support. Please ask your nurse to have the nurse navigator see you.
Neuropsychologist
A doctor with special training in helping people who have trouble with their thinking and memory issues. If you need this doctor’s help, you would make an appointment after you go home.