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These newer drug classes help only certain brain tumours, and only when a molecular test says so. At CION, our medical oncologists deliver systemic therapy directly, guided by a tumour board for every patient.
Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are two newer families of cancer medicine. Targeted therapy blocks a specific molecular feature the tumour relies on to grow, while immunotherapy helps your own immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. Both differ from older chemotherapy, which affects fast-dividing cells more broadly.
For brain tumours, the honest starting point matters: these drug classes help only certain tumours, and the evidence is far stronger for some situations than others. For most primary brain tumours such as glioblastoma, the main proven targeted option is an anti-angiogenic therapy (a drug class that starves the tumour of new blood vessels), while broad immunotherapy is still mostly studied in clinical trials. Where these drugs shine is in selected brain metastases, where the medicine chosen for the original cancer can also work in the brain. This page explains, in plain language, where each drug class fits, how it is given, what to expect, and how CION delivers it directly — always guided by molecular testing and a tumour board. It sits alongside our page on chemotherapy for brain tumours.
NCCN and EANO (the European Association of Neuro-Oncology) guidelines are cautious about immunotherapy for primary brain tumours — large trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors in newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma have not shown a clear survival benefit in routine care. For glioblastoma, the recognised targeted option is an anti-angiogenic therapy, used mainly at recurrence and to control brain swelling. This is why matching any drug to the tumour’s molecular profile — not the hype — is what actually helps.
These medicines are matched to the tumour, not given to everyone. Here is where they change the plan today, and where they do not. The final call is always made by CION's neuro-oncology tumour board.
The clearest role for targeted therapy in primary brain tumours is an anti-angiogenic drug class for glioblastoma that has come back. It can shrink swelling around the tumour, ease symptoms, and reduce the need for high-dose steroids. It is a symptom- and control-focused option — decided case by case by the tumour board.
Some gliomas carry markers such as IDH mutation or 1p/19q co-deletion that shape which systemic approach suits them. Molecular testing identifies these tumours, so the medicine is chosen for the biology, not the grade alone. Emerging IDH-directed targeted classes are an active research area.
This is where these drugs matter most. When cancer spreads to the brain from elsewhere, the targeted or immune drug chosen for the original cancer — for example some melanoma or lung secondaries — can also control disease in the brain. See brain metastases treatment.
Most benign tumours (such as meningiomas) and many low-grade tumours need neither targeted therapy nor immunotherapy. For newly diagnosed glioblastoma, the backbone is still surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy — with targeted or immune drugs added only where evidence or a trial supports it.
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Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
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MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Talk to a CION medical oncologist about whether a targeted or immune drug fits your tumour, what the evidence really shows, and what to expect. We walk this journey with you, every step.
It helps to understand what makes these drug classes different. A challenge with any brain-tumour medicine is the blood–brain barrier — a natural filter that protects the brain and also blocks many drugs from reaching it. This is a key reason only certain drug classes are useful for tumours inside the brain, and why the choice is made carefully.
Targeted therapy acts on a specific molecular feature rather than dividing cells in general. For primary brain tumours, the recognised class is anti-angiogenic therapy — medicines that block the signals a tumour uses to grow new blood vessels. Used mainly for recurrent glioblastoma, it can reduce swelling, ease symptoms, and lower steroid needs. It is usually given as an intravenous infusion (a drip) in a day-care unit, in cycles with rest periods.
Immunotherapy — most often a checkpoint-inhibitor drug class — releases the brakes on the immune system so it can attack cancer cells. For primary brain tumours like glioblastoma, this has not yet shown a clear benefit in routine care and is used mainly within clinical trials. It is more established for certain brain metastases, where the immunotherapy chosen for the original cancer can also reach the brain. It, too, is given as a scheduled infusion, with the immune system monitored closely.
CION delivers these systemic therapies directly at our centres with full monitoring and supportive care, and coordinates any radiation, surgery, steroids, or seizure medicines you need alongside. Where surgery is required, it is coordinated with our accredited neurosurgical partners; the drug planning and follow-up are managed by CION's medical oncology team.
Targeted and immune drugs only work when the tumour has the feature they act on — so testing the tumour comes first. Giving a targeted drug blindly risks side effects with little benefit. A test on the biopsy sample can reveal markers that shape both which drug class makes sense and how the tumour is likely to behave:
This is why CION arranges molecular testing on the biopsy of every malignant glioma — so systemic therapy is chosen on real evidence about your tumour, not on the grade alone. Ask CION whether your tumour has been fully tested before any targeted or immune plan is finalised.
Targeted and immune therapies have different side-effect profiles from chemotherapy — and most people continue daily life while on them. CION monitors you closely, checks bloods before each cycle, and manages any effect promptly.
After treatment, regular MRI scans track the tumour's response. Scans after treatment can be tricky to read — temporary inflammation can mimic tumour growth — so experienced neuro-oncologists avoid premature changes to a working plan.
Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are just part of brain tumour care — and rarely the whole plan. The most reliable outcomes come from a multidisciplinary tumour board where surgery, radiation, and medical oncology decide together, as recommended by NCCN and EANO. At CION, every brain tumour case is reviewed by the board before any systemic drug is started, stopped, or changed.
For many primary brain tumours, the most promising targeted and immune approaches are still being studied in clinical trials rather than proven in everyday care. A trial can offer access to a newer drug class, but it is not right for everyone — eligibility depends on your tumour type, molecular markers, and general health. The best next step is an honest conversation with a medical oncologist who knows the current evidence.
A second opinion on systemic therapy is especially valuable in a few situations:
CION offers a dedicated free written second opinion. To see how targeted and immune therapy sit within the complete pathway — surgery coordination, radiation, chemotherapy, and supportive care — see our brain tumour treatment in Hyderabad page, read about chemotherapy for brain tumours, or return to the brain cancer & tumour hub. You can also call us on 18002028726 to speak with the team.
Get a free written second opinion from CION's tumour board — particularly valuable if a targeted or immune drug has been suggested without full molecular testing (IDH, MGMT, 1p/19q) on the tumour.
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Start Your Story. Book Free Consultation.Targeted therapy uses medicines designed to block a specific molecular feature that a tumour depends on to grow — rather than attacking all fast-dividing cells the way older chemotherapy does. For brain tumours, the most useful example is an anti-angiogenic therapy, a drug class that blocks the tumour's ability to build new blood vessels; it is used mainly for recurrent glioblastoma and to reduce brain swelling. Whether a targeted drug helps depends entirely on your tumour's molecular markers (such as IDH, MGMT, or 1p/19q). At CION, a multidisciplinary tumour board reviews every case and delivers systemic therapy directly.
The honest answer is: it depends heavily on the tumour type. For most primary brain tumours such as glioblastoma, checkpoint-inhibitor immunotherapy has not been shown to work well in routine care, and it is largely used within clinical trials. Where immunotherapy is genuinely valuable is in certain brain metastases — for example some melanoma or lung cancer secondaries — where the immunotherapy chosen for the original cancer can also control disease in the brain. CION's medical oncology team assesses whether an immunotherapy drug class fits your specific tumour, and never over-promises where the evidence is not there.
Both are usually given as an intravenous infusion (a drip) in a day-care unit, in cycles with rest periods so the body recovers between treatments. Some targeted drug classes for other cancers come as tablets, but for brain tumours the infusion route is most common. You do not normally need a hospital stay. CION delivers these systemic therapies directly at our centres with full monitoring, and coordinates any radiation, surgery, or supportive medicines you need alongside. The exact schedule is set by your medical oncologist based on the drug class and your general health.
Targeted and immune drugs only work when the tumour has the feature they act on — so testing the tumour is essential. A test on the sample can reveal an IDH mutation, MGMT methylation, 1p/19q co-deletion, or other markers that shape which drug class is likely to help and how the tumour behaves. Giving a targeted drug without this information risks side effects with little benefit. This is why CION arranges molecular testing on the biopsy of every malignant glioma before choosing systemic therapy — so treatment is matched to your tumour's biology, not guesswork.
They differ from chemotherapy. Anti-angiogenic therapy can raise blood pressure, cause protein in the urine, and rarely affect wound healing or clotting — which is why timing around surgery matters. Immunotherapy can cause immune-related effects such as tiredness, skin rash, or inflammation of the thyroid, bowel, or other organs, usually managed well when caught early. Most people tolerate these treatments and continue daily life. CION monitors you closely, checks bloods before each cycle, and manages any effect promptly. Steroid and seizure medicines are coordinated alongside, as many brain tumour patients need them.
Often, yes — this is where these drug classes matter most. Brain metastases (cancer that has spread to the brain from elsewhere) are usually treated first with focused radiation, but the systemic drug chosen for the original cancer — a targeted therapy or immunotherapy — can also reach and control disease in the brain in selected patients. The right choice depends entirely on where the cancer started, so the plan is matched to the primary — for example lung, breast, skin (melanoma), or kidney cancer. CION coordinates this for you.
For many primary brain tumours, the most promising targeted and immune approaches are still being studied in clinical trials rather than proven in routine care. A trial can offer access to a newer drug class, but it is not right for everyone, and eligibility depends on your tumour type, molecular markers, and general health. The best approach is an honest conversation with a medical oncologist who knows the current evidence. CION's tumour board can review whether a trial or an approved drug class is the sensible next step, and give you a clear, unhurried explanation — with decisions made for healing, not billing.
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