Brain Tumors Treatment

What is a Brain Tumor ?

Brain tumors develop when there is an abnormal growth of cells in the brain. This rare condition can be seen in both adults and children. Brain tumors can be categorized into cancerous (malignant) and non-cancerous (benign). Cancerous (malignant) tumors are more aggressive and serious than non-cancerous (benign) tumor. There are approximately 140 types of brain tumors that can develop in the brain. Metastatic or primary are the two types of brain tumors. Primary tumors develop in the brain and does not spread outside the brain. Unlike primary tumors, metastatic tumors develop in other body part and spreads to the brain through lymphatic or blood tissue. Kidney cancer, lung cancer, melanoma and breast cancer can spread to the brain.



What Causes Brain Tumors ?

There is no as such proven cause of brain tumors. However, some of the causes include –

  • A family history of genetic disorders such as tuberous sclerosis, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis and Hippel-Lindau disease.
  • People who have a compromised immune system
  • Exposure to radiation

Symptoms of Brain Tumors

Headaches are considered as the most common symptoms of a brain tumor. Further symptoms are –

  • Problems with memory
  • Seizures
  • Weakness in one part of the body
  • Problems while walking
  • Changes in hearing and speech
  • Tingling or numbness in the arms or legs
  • Personality changes
  • Balance problems
  • Unable to concentrate
  • Changes in vision

Types of Brain Tumors

A brain tumor can result in a number of neurological problems. There are many types of brain tumors. Some common tumors are –

  • Central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma
  • Schwannoma
  • Acoustic neuroma
  • Chordoma
  • Optic nerve glioma
  • Astrocytoma
  • Pituitary neuroectodermal
  • Ganglioneuroma
  • Brain stem glioma
  • Pineal tumors
  • Meningioma
  • Primitive neuroectodermal
  • Medulloblastoma
  • Mixed glioma
  • Epdendymoma
  • Craniopharyngioma

Treatment for Brain Tumor

The diagnosis of a brain tumor is done by using MRIs or CT scans. There are some treatment options available for treating brain tumors. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery are the surgical options for removing brain tumors. The treatment depends upon certain factors –

  • Location of brain tumor
  • General health and age of a patient
  • Size of brain tumor
  • Grade and type of brain tumor

Proton therapy can be considered as one of the best treatment options for brain tumors. Proton therapy minimizes side effects as compared to traditional radiation therapy and also long term complications can be avoided. Proton therapy uses higher doses of radiation for targeting brain cancer. This also causes less damage to the surrounding tissues. The success rate of this therapy is also very high.

Benefits of Brain Tumor Surgery

The potential benefits after a brain tumor surgery depends upon the individual situation. The goal of a brain tumor surgery is to cure several types of brain tumor at once. A brain tumor treatment can improve symptoms and also provides for an improved quality of life. India is graded as one of the best medical treatment destination in Asia as well as the world for such surgery.

Recovery After Brain Tumor Surgery

A patient is recommended for speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The aim of these therapies is to speed up the recovery period so that the patient may get on with his routine life as soon as possible.

Cost of Brain Tumor Surgery

India is known as one of the best medical treatment destination in the world for its advanced medical facilities and promising technology for brain tumor surgery. Some of the best hospitals for brain tumor can be found in India. Also the cost of brain tumor surgery in India is substantially lower than other developed countries of the world.