Brain tumours are referred to as abnormal growths of cells within or surrounding the brain. These growths can exert pressure on surrounding tissues, nerves, and blood vessels, potentially affecting brain function and overall health. Primary brain tumours have their origin within the brain, while secondary tumours metastasise from cancers elsewhere in the body.
India Today spoke with Dr. Narendra Motarwar, Consultant – Neurosurgery, Jupiter Hospital, Pune, to get more insights.
Healthcare providers classify primary tumours based on their composition (glial or non-glial) and behaviour (benign or malignant). Malignant brain tumours, including gliomas and medulloblastomas, are aggressive and can grow rapidly.
Benign Vs. Malignant Brain Tumors
Gliomas account for around 78% of malignant primary brain tumours. These cancers arise in the glial cells that envelop and support the nerve cells. Another kind of malignant brain tumour is called a medulloblastoma. These rapidly expanding tumours start at the base of your skull. They are the most commonly found malignant brain tumour in kids. Benign tumours, on the other hand, typically grow slowly and may include types like chordomas, craniopharyngiomas, and meningiomas.
Symptoms of brain tumours vary depending on their size, location, and type, encompassing headaches, seizures, cognitive difficulties, personality changes, and sensory impairments. Other symptoms may include nausea or vomiting, vision issues, hearing problems, weakness or paralysis in one part or one side of the body and facial numbness or tingling. It’s important to visit your doctor if you’re experiencing most of these symptoms.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosing a brain tumour can be a complicated process and healthcare providers use several tests to diagnose a brain tumour. Brain cancers can best be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sometimes a tumour biopsy is performed to determine the kind of tumour and if it is malignant. A biopsy involves removing a sample of the tumour for microscopic inspection. To further aid in the diagnosis, specific specialist testing is occasionally helpful. Tumour markers are compounds that some tumours emit; for instance, your healthcare professional may conduct tests to examine the substances in your blood and cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, they can check for genetic anomalies that are characteristic of certain tumours.
The location, size, kind, and quantity of tumours, as well as your age and general health, all affect how your brain tumour is treated. Surgery is typically successful in removing benign (noncancerous) brain tumours, and they typically don’t recur. When treating a tumour, medical professionals frequently combine different treatments.
Amongst your possible treatment choices are:
ââ Brain surgery (craniotomy/ Biopsy) to remove the tumour.
ââ Radiation therapy: In this kind of treatment, high doses of X-rays either kill off brain tumour cells or cause the tumour to shrink.
ââ Radiosurgery: This radiation treatment targets and destroys tumours with highly concentrated radiation beams, such as gamma or proton.
ââ Chemotherapy: Anticancer medications used in this therapy destroy cancer cells in the brain and other parts of the body. Following surgery, your healthcare practitioner could advise chemotherapy to eradicate any cancer cells that might have persisted or to stop any tumour cells from proliferating.
ââ Immunotherapy: Also referred to as biological therapy, immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that boosts your body’s immunological response.
ââ Targeted therapy: In this approach, medications target particular characteristics of cancer cells without endangering healthy cells.
Overall, managing brain tumours requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach, tailored to each patient’s unique circumstances, to alleviate symptoms, control tumour growth, and improving quality of life. With the latest advances in technology, brain surgery has become very safe in experts’ hands. The treatment outcome is really good especially when patients seek medical attention promptly.