What are some treatment options for spinal fluid cancer?

Treatment options for spinal fluid cancer include radiation and chemotherapy, says Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Doctors may prescribe both of these treatments at the same time.

During radiation treatment, doctors target the radiation at places in the spinal fluid where cancer cells have been detected, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Radiation therapy patients can undergo treatment on an outpatient basis.

Doctors introduce chemotherapy drugs directly into the spinal fluid, says Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Another option for administration of chemotherapy drugs is an Ommaya reservoir, which is surgically inserted under the patient's scalp. This technique eliminates the need for a spinal tap.