Brain tumors:
Early symptoms, types, diagnosis and treatment

What is a brain tumor?

A mass of tissue which develops due to a collection of abnormal cells is called a tumor. Unlike the normal cells of the body, the tumor cells continue to grow, even when not required. Further, these cells persist for a long time i.e they do not die off like the normal cells. This leads to the continuous growth of the tumor. As the name suggests, brain tumor is a tumor that develops in the cells of the brain.

What are the different types of brain tumors?

Tumors may commonly emerge from the different types of cells within the brain and the central nervous system. Hence, these tumors are often named on the cells of their origin. For example, brain tumors may develop from astrocytes and glial cells. Astrocytoma and anaplastic astrocytoma develop from astrocytes whereas glioblastoma, glioblastoma multiforme and oligodendrogliomas develop from the glial cells of the brain
Meningeal tumors are the tumors that arise from the covering of the brain and spinal cord known as meninges. For example: meningioma, craniopharyngioma, schwannomas.
Brain tumors of glands: Some tumors may be associated with the glands of the brain. Pineoblastoma and pineocytoma affect pineal gland and pituitary tumors or adenomas affect pituitary gland.

What are the symptoms of a brain tumor?

Symptoms of brain tumors depend on the type of tumor and its location and respective brain functions. Sometimes there may not be any symptoms till the tumor becomes large enough to compress surrounding tissues and lead to a decline in health. However some of warning signs of brain tumor may be:

• Alteration of speech or hearing
• Headaches that do not respond to routine management remedies
• Inability to focus or concentrate
• Tingling or numbness in the arms or legs
• Personality changes
• Problems of balancing
• Problems with memory
• Problems with walking
• Seizures
• Vision changes
• Weakness in a body part

Brain tumor symptoms in women: While there may be some common symptoms between men and women, some type of brain tumors are seen more commonly in women. For example, pituitary adenomas and meningiomas may be seen more frequently in older women. In such cases, there may be other symptoms like back pain or pain in the limbs, hearing loss, facial muscle spasms, and sharp facial pain etc.

How are brain tumors diagnosed?

• A neurologist can diagnose a brain tumor by undertaking
  Thorough medical history
• Physical and neurological examination
• Tests:
  • – Imaging studies like CT scan or MRI
  • – Angiogramof the brain
  • – Biopsy of the brain tissue – An oncologist identifies if the affected tissue (tumor) is cancerous or not.

What is the treatment of brain tumor?

• Depending upon the tumor size and location, as well as patient’s overall health, the neurologist may suggest the best treatment option. The most common treatment option for brain tumors is surgery.
• Some tumors may sometimes not be amenable to surgical removal due to their location in the brain. Radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be considered by the oncologist then.
• Sometimes, a combination of surgery followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation may be used.
• Gamma Knife therapy, a form of highly focused radiation therapy is often advised for tumors that are positioned deep within the brain.

Treatment for cancer can potentially damage the nearby healthy tissues, hence it carries certain risks of long term side effects. Rehabilitation planning following treatment for removal of a brain tumor is thus crucial for good treatment outcomes.

What is brain tumor survival rate?

As per the Cancer Research Organization, UK, the one-year survival rate in men may be nearly 41% , and five-year survival rate is nearly 18%. Women on the other hand have a one-year survival rate of 39% and five-year survival rate of nearly 20%.

To know more about brain tumor and its treatment, you can request for a call back and our brain tumor specialist will call you and answer all your queries.

Advanced brain tumor treatment with intraoperative MRI

3T intraoperative MRI (iMRI) is a revolutionary technology for neurosurgery especially for brain tumor surgeries. The most advanced 3t intraoperative MRI helps doctors to do neurosurgeries safely as well as accurately. Yashoda Hospitals is the first hospital in India with a 3t intraoperative MRI.

Yashoda Hospitals surgeons are exclusively using this 3 Tesla intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging for brain tumor treatments. In our hospital, this iMRI is located in the surgery room and is used for pre-surgical mapping as well as during brain surgeries. Which helps our surgeons and other staff by giving quality images of a brain.

3TiMRI is one of the most advanced technology in brain tumor surgical procedure. With this technology, surgeons are able to take the patients brain images right from the surgical table with an assured optimum position. With this real-time surgical corrections additional surgeries are eliminated in many cases.

Right from 2018 to till date the additional sedation or surgeries percentage has been decreased, at the same time patients coming for neurosurgery brain tumor treatment number has gradually increased. This is because of two reasons the first reason is best brain tumor treatment in Hyderabad with advanced 3t intraoperative MRI and the second reason being best 3T MRI brain surgery specialists.

In addition to brain tumor surgical treatment, our consultant doctors also use this iMRI for patient’s functional testing, who is being considered for neurosurgery. After considering, these surgeons create a specific treatment plan for that patient. One can get all these advanced brain tumor treatment at affordable prices only. Raise your request for brain tumor treatment cost at Yashoda Hospitals.

The 3-Tesla MRI is now available in Hyderabad too! plan your medical tour to Yashoda Hospitals for a better and advanced brain surgery using intraoperative MRI.

Our blogs on new techniques of brain tumor treatments and surgery:

• Advanced Radiosurgery to treat brain tumors without opening the skull
• Facts about iMRI aided surgeries for brain tumour and diseases
• Understanding brain tumours

References:

• Mayo Clinic. Brain Tumor. Available at:https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-tumor/symptoms-causes/syc-20350084, Accessed on January 24, 2018
• National Cancer Institute. Brain Cancer. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/brain Accessed on January 24, 2018
• Cancer Research UK. Brain tumors. Available at:cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/brain-tumours Accessed on January 24, 2018
• US National Library of Medicine. Brain tumors. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/braintumors.html Accessed on January 24, 2018

Disclaimer:

“The content of this publication has been developed by a third party content providerwho are clinicians and/or medical writers and/or experts. The information contained herein is for educational purpose only and we request you to please consult a Registered Medical Practitioner or Doctor before deciding the appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan.”