It depends on the type of tumor and how far it has invaded into the brain, as well as the patient’s age and overall health. Three kinds of treatment are used: surgery (removing the tumor during an operation), radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays/proton beams to kill tumor cells) and drug therapy to shrink and sometimes eradicate the tumor. Drugs can also block the pituitary gland from making too much hormone. A Transphenoidal operation can remove the tumor through a cut in the nasal passage, leaving no external scar. (Sometimes a surgeon prefers to go through an incision under the upper lip instead of the nose, also with no external scarring.) A Craniotomy removes the tumor through a cut in the front of the skull; this is rarely done for large invasive tumors.