Brain Tumor Surgery in India

About the brain Tumor:

A brain tumor is a mass, or collection of abnormal cells produced in the brain. It occurs when the abnormal and unwanted growth of tissue forms within the brain.

Types of CANCER

There are two types of brain tumors:

1. BENIGN TUMOR: It is a non-cancerous tumor.
2. MALIGNANT TUMOR: It is a cancerous tumor. It can be further classified into two groups:

1. Primary tumor: It starts within the brain.
2. Secondary tumor: The most commonly spreadable tumor (located outside of the brain). It is known as a brain metastasis tumor. It occurs when cancer cells enter the brain from another organ.

GRADES OF TUMOR

Grade 1: The growth of the cell is slow and looks like a normal cell (benign tissue).

Grade 2: Less likely to be a normal cell than the grade 1 tumor (malignant tissue).

Grade 3: Cells are different from normal cells, which are anaplastic and spread all over the body very aggressively (malignant tissue).

Grade 4: The most atypical and rapidly growing cells are seen in the cancerous tissue.

RISK FACTOR

A brain tumor risk factor includes:

1. Family History: five to ten percent of cancers are inherited genetically. But it is a very rare case.
2. Age: the risk of brain tumors increases as per the number of years of age.
3. Exposure to chemicals: being exposed to certain chemicals, such as in a work environment. It can increase the risk of brain cancer.
4. Exposure to radiation: being exposed to radiation can increase the risk of brain cancer.
5. Non-having a chickenpox history: having a childhood chickenpox history can lower the risk of developing glomia by 21%.

CAUSES

Most of the causes of brain cancer are unknown, but there are some known causes such as:

1. CT SCAN: up to 4% of brain cancer is caused by CT scan radiation.
2. Exposure to vinyl chloride: being exposed to vinyl chloride in a work environment can increase the risk of brain cancer.
3. Inherited syndromes: neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, and von Hippel-Lindau disease. These are the inherited syndromes that can cause brain tumors.

SYMPTOMS

It depends on the size and location of the brain tumor.

1. Headache is a common symptom of brain cancer. Worse in the morning.
2. Memory loss and confusion.
3. The ability to hear, smell, or taste changes.
4. in the face, leg, or are (muscle weakness).
5. Loss of consciousness and decreased alertness.
6. Uncontrollable movement.
7. Bowel and bladder control decrease.

TREATMENT

1. Radiation therapy: For brain tumors, it is the most commonly used treatment. The goal of radiation therapy is to kill the tumor cell while leaving brain tissue unharmed.
2. TARGETED THERAPY: It targets tumor-specific genes, tissue, or protein environments that contribute to the growth and survival of tumors. It is a targeted therapy that blocks the growth and spread of brain cancer cells.
3. CHEMO THERAPY: It improves the overall survival of patients with brain cancer. It’s often used in young children instead of radiation. It is only dependent on the patient’s health and the type of tumor. In this process, patients undergoing chemotherapy are administered drugs that are diagnosed to kill tumor cells.
4. ELECTRIC FIELD THERAPY: In inter-fare with parts of cell that are needed for the spread and growth of tumor cells. In this process, electrodes are placed that produce an electric field on the outside of the patient’s head. The name of this device is Optune.

SURVIVAL

The survival rate of brain cancer depends on the type of tumor, the functional status of the patient, and their age.