Guidance

This guideline covers how healthcare services for people with brain tumours and other central nervous system tumours should be organised. It aims to improve care by recommending which healthcare professionals should be involved and the types of hospital or cancer centre best suited to provide the care.

NICE has also produced a guideline on brain tumours (primary) and brain metastases in over 16s.

Recommendations

This guideline recommends that:

  • all care should be coordinated through a designated multidisciplinary team
  • all patients should have face-to-face contact with healthcare professionals to discuss their care, supported by high-quality written information
  • all patients should have a clearly defined key worker
  • patients should have ready access to specialist care services when needed
  • palliative care specialists should be core members of multidisciplinary teams
  • cancer networks should support patient entry into clinical trials

Who is it for?

  • Healthcare professionals
  • Commissioners and providers
  • People with brain tumours and other central nervous system tumours, their families and carers

Is this guideline up to date?

We checked this guideline in March 2017. Recommendations in this guideline will be updated and incorporated into the new clinical guideline on primary brain tumours and brain metastases. 

Guideline development process

How we develop NICE guidelines