What is a skull-base tumor?
Skull-base tumors are caused by abnormal cells growing in the tissues surrounding the brain. These tissues are found at the base of the skull where the brain rests, including in the cavities that surround the eyes (orbit) and nose/throat/sinuses (called the sinonasal tract). Skull-base tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Because they’re located in an area that serves as a relay station for nerves and vessels going to and coming from the brain, even a noncancerous tumor in the skull base can cause symptoms or problems when it grows and affects function.
Malignant tumors can be further divided into tumors that originate in the brain, brain lining or bone and those that come from the orbit or lining of the sinonasal tract. Although the skull base is a relatively small area of the body, it contains critically important functional anatomy. There are more variations in the types and behaviors of benign and malignant tumors seen in the skull base than almost anywhere else in the human body.
Though rare, skull-base tumors are complex: Each patient’s tumor is different, behaving differently in the bodies they’re in, and calls for a tailored, individualized treatment plan.
Types of skull-base tumors
Skull-base tumors are categorized by the type of tumor and its location within your skull. There are many types of cancerous (malignant) and noncancerous (benign) skull-base tumors. The most common are:
- Adenocarcinomas
- Adenoid cystic carcinomas
- Brain tumors
- Chondrosarcomas
- Chordomas
- Craniopharyngiomas
- Hemangiomas and other vascular malformations
- Hemangiopericytomas
- Inverting papillomas
- Juvenile angiofibromas
- Meningiomas
- Metastases (cancer that spreads from another area of the body)
- Mucosal melanoma
- Nasal polyps
- Nasopharyngeal cancer
- Olfactory neuroblastomas
- Other sarcomas
- Pituitary gland tumors
- Schwannomas
- Squamous cell carcinomas
Skull-base tumor symptoms
Symptoms of a skull-base tumor can vary depending on the type and location of the tumor. Most skull-base tumors don’t cause symptoms early on, but they develop over time. A bump (or lump) on the back of your head is typically not a sign or symptom of a skull-base tumor.
Symptoms of skull-base tumors that may appear gradually over time:- Altered sense of smell or taste
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Headaches
- Hearing loss
- Memory loss
- Nausea
- Nose bleeds
- Trouble swallowing
If you have one or more of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor to see if you should be screened for a skull-base tumor.
Cranial Base Center
At the OSUCCC – James, our skull-base tumor specialists and subspecialists are world-renowned experts who focus solely on conditions of the head and neck and who reach across medical disciplines to design the very best treatment plans and therapies to target each patient’s specific disease. We’re a North American Skull Base Society Multidisciplinary Center of Distinction.
Our never-ending effort to perfect our care drives momentum in the search for innovative and more-efficient therapies. This creates more precise and personalized care that results in superior, more predictable outcomes.
The OSUCCC – James Cranial Base Center experts coordinate patient care through a centralized system, which means each patient receives a streamlined treatment process — from the time of diagnosis all the way through post-treatment follow-up.
Additionally, our internationally recognized medical research specialists initiate and lead advanced studies and clinical trials to enhance diagnosis and surgical techniques and to continually develop leading-edge approaches to cranial care and treatment.
We’ve been pioneers in endonasal surgery for more than 20 years and our cranial specialists have helped develop some of the most advanced treatment options, including:- Our physicians pioneered minimally invasive techniques, such as the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) to skull-base surgery, and our surgeons are internationally recognized in this area as well as endoscopic brain surgery and traditional surgery.
- Our expert skull-base reconstruction surgeons use state-of-the-art techniques to restore form and function, personalizing treatment for each patient.
- Our laboratories have ongoing research projects aimed at improving instrumentation and surgical techniques, enhancing diagnosis of cranial base disorders and developing new approaches to difficult-to-reach tumors.
How we treat skull-base tumors
Today, patients have access to advanced treatment procedures by internationally recognized experts in skull-base tumors performed only at the OSUCCC – James.
Our team of experts meets weekly on what is known as a Tumor Board, where each patient’s case is discussed among the nation’s leading neurosurgeons, head and neck surgeons, radiation oncologists, orbital surgeons and radiologists.
Together, they jointly discuss ways to optimize patient treatments, focusing not only on the best functional outcomes (including speech and vision) but also on maximizing chances for cure. Research has shown that receiving treatment at these highly specialized, experienced, comprehensive cancer centers like the OSUCCC – James significantly improves the chances of cure and reduces the risk of treatment complications.
Our skull-base tumor team of experts specializes in comprehensive approaches that involve multiple modes of treatment, including:- Traditional open and minimally invasive endoscopic surgery
- Specialized skull-base radiation personalized to this complex area of the body