Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center
Neuro-Oncology


Contact Information
Brain Tumor Program
Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology
Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care
Boston,
MA
02114
Phone: 617-726-2937
Fax: 617-724-3484
About This Program
Care During COVID-19
Our dedicated surgeons, nurses and staff are committed to providing the best possible care. We have taken unprecedented steps to ensure office visits, procedures and surgeries are welcoming and safe. Your health and safety is our top priority. Learn More >
Overview
The Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital cares for adult patients with tumors of the nervous system as well as neurologic complications of cancer.Our multidisciplinary group of brain, spine and nerve cancer experts will develop and implement an integrated, care plan personalized for each patient. Depending on the stage and other characteristics of a patient’s cancer, treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of these therapies. Many clinical trials are also offered through our program.
In addition to our neurosurgeons, the staff at the Pappas Center includes:
- Neuropathologists
- Neuroradiologists
- Neuro-oncologists
- Radiation oncologists
- Oncology nurses and nurse practitioners
- Oncology psychiatrists, social workers and chaplains
- Oncology nutritionists
- Palliative care providers
Excellence in Surgical Care
Our surgeons have extensive experience treating brain tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding structures. Advanced surgical techniques include:
- Image-guided neurosurgery
- Intraoperative MRI and CT imaging
- Brachytherapy, radiotherapy implants placed at tumor margins to enhance tumor destruction
- Microsurgery, operating on tiny structures through a microscope, often used for cranial base tumors
- Endoscopic cranial base surgery, a noninvasive way to remove tumors through natural openings such as the nasal passages
A Full Range of Treatments
We offer the full spectrum of conventional care as well as promising new therapies to ensure patients get the best treatment possible. Available services include:
- Advanced imaging technologies (MRI, functional MRI, PET/CT scans) give surgeons a detailed view of the affected area
- Neuro-oncology for non-surgical treatment using chemotherapy, immunotherapy, angiogenesis inhibitors, and targeted therapies
- Advanced radiation therapies such as proton beam therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), intensity-modulation radiation therapy (IMRT), and 3-D conformal radiation
- Clinical trials that give patients access to experimental therapies and leading-edge treatment techniques.
Patient Experience
Road to recovery after brain tumor surgery
Jane noticed she was leaning towards the left when driving her car which she attributed to clumsiness, however, after a series of incidents she pursued medical attention which identified a brain tumor that was the cause of her symptoms. Jane immediately reached out to Massachusetts General Hospital.

Meet Our Neurosurgical Brain Tumor Team:
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- Department of Neurosurgery
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- Department of Neurosurgery
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- Chief, Neurosurgery Service, Mass General
- William and Elizabeth Sweet Professor of Neurosurgery Harvard Medical School
- Chair, Department of Neurosurgery
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- Neurosurgical Director of the Proton Beam Radiosurgery Program
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- Co-Director, Mass General Neuroscience
- Director of Neurosurgical Oncology
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- Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School
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- Neurosurgical Oncology / Brain Tumor Surgeon / MGH Brain Tumor Center
- Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
- Associate Director MGH Neurosurgery Program and Neurosurgical Spine
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- Department of Neurosurgery
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