5 Questions You Might Be Curious to Ask About Brain Tumor Treatment

Introduction to Brain Tumour Treatment

An accumulation of aberrant brain cells is known as a brain tumour. The brain’s architecture is extremely intricate, with several regions controlling various nervous system processes. Any portion of the brain or skull can develop a brain tumour, including the brain’s protective coating, the base of the skull, the brainstem, the sinuses, the nasal cavity, and many other places. Depending on the tissue from which they originate, the brain can develop any one of more than 120 distinct tumour forms.

Let’s start with the questions about brain tumour treatment, and let’s burst our curiosity about it!

1)    Where is the tumour located in my brain?

By Tumor Site

Depending on where the tumour is placed in the brain, symptoms might occasionally be extremely localised.

Frontal Lobe Cancer

The frontal lobes are located in the part of the brain where reasoning and decision-making occur. Both a reduction in intelligence and a change in personality may be brought on by tumours in this region. They may also cause the loss of smell sensation due to strain on the olfactory nerve (anosmia). Speaking (expressive aphasia) may also be affected. A tumour in this region can result in weakness on the opposing side of the body since the posterior section of the frontal lobe regulates strength on that side.

Temporal Lobe Tumors

In speaking and listening, the temporal lobes are important. Hearing things), the inability to understand speech (receptive aphasia) and vision problems can all be brought on by tumours in this region. There may also be symptoms like depersonalization, déjà vu, and seeing things as bigger or smaller than they actually are.

Parietal Lobe Cancer

Sensation changes on the opposing side of the body may result from a tumour in the parietal lobe at the top of the brain. Tumours may interfere with direction (e.g., the ability to distinguish between up and down) or object recognition because this region of the brain is also crucial for coordinating other regions of the brain. People who have a tumour in this area could disregard one side of their body or feel pain without any apparent cause.

Brainstem Tumors

The brainstem regulates critical processes like breathing and heart rate in addition to serving as a relay between the top part of the brain and the spinal cord. Double vision, unequal pupils, dizziness, droopy eyelids, and other symptoms are possible with tumours in this region, as well as numbness or weakness on the same or opposite side of the body from the tumour. Also possible is unconsciousness, and a brain tumour in this area has the potential to be lethal. Brain tissue may herniate (be pushed) into the brainstem as a result of pressure brought on by tumours in the upper parts of the brain.

 2) Is the tumour cancerous?

A mass of tissue develops abnormally when cells do not die on schedule or expand and divide more often than they should. Cancer-free tumours might be benign or malignant (cancer). Although benign brain tumours can become enormous, they do not penetrate or spread to surrounding tissues or to other areas of the body. Malignant tumours have the potential to invade or spread to neighbouring tissues. The lymphatic and circulatory systems of the body can also distribute them to other areas of the body. also known as a tumour.

3) How many types of brain tumours are there?

There are around 130 different forms of tumours that can affect the brain and central nervous system, all of which can range from benign to malignant, from exceedingly rare to moderately common.

 But which of the 130 brain tumours is the most typical?

1. Metastatic

Metastatic tumours, the most prevalent type of brain tumour in adults, are categorised as secondary brain tumours because they develop from cancer that first started in another part of the body and subsequently metastasized to the brain. The American Brain Tumor Association believes that between 200,000 and 300,000 metastatic brain tumours are diagnosed each year, despite the fact that specific incidence rates are unknown. We’re starting to see more metastatic tumours as we’re doing better at systemically controlling cancer, according to Dr Lustig, who also stated that breast or lung cancer are the most common causes of metastatic tumours. While smaller tumours may be treated with a gamma knife, a sort of radiation therapy that concentrates 200 tiny beams of radiation into the tumorous tissue, larger metastatic tumours are frequently removed surgically.

 2. Meningioma

Given that they develop in the meninges—the membranes that line the skull and spinal canal—these tumours aren’t really brain tumours. However, the effects of their growth on the brain might range from memory loss to convulsions to eyesight and hearing loss. Meningioma incidence rises with age, and because the tumours grow slowly, symptoms may appear gradually. Many meningiomas, according to Dr Lustig, are benign, therefore medical professionals may decide to ignore asymptomatic occurrences. However, if the tumour begins to negatively impact the quality of life, doctors will either perform a surgical removal or use radiation therapy to treat it. Chronic headaches are the most typical early indicator of meningioma, according to Dr. Lustig.

 3. Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most prevalent primary brain tumour, meaning it starts in the brain, despite being the third most prevalent of all brain tumours. It is also the deadliest. Annually, around 15,000 new instances of glioblastoma are identified, with average survival times falling between 11 and 15 months. Ted Kennedy, John McCain, and Beau Biden, the son of the late vice president Joe Biden, all passed away from glioblastoma in recent years, making headlines.

 According to Dr Lustig, a broad spectrum of therapeutic modalities, including surgical resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, are frequently used to treat glioblastoma. Additionally, Penn has a large number of glioblastoma clinical trials, with immunotherapy being the most promising.

4.   Astrocytoma

The cerebrum of the brain contains astrocytes, star-shaped cells that give rise to these initial tumours. The grade of astrocytoma tumours, which refers to their degree of malignancy and aggressiveness, varies; sometimes they develop more aggressively (Grade III), and other times they grow slowly (Grade II) (Grade III). According to Dr Lustig, surgical procedures are always used to treat astrocytomas, with chemotherapy and radiation therapy are used less frequently.

Astrocytomas have higher rates of overall survival than the other cancers on this list. According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rates for low-grade astrocytomas are approximately 68 per cent for individuals aged 20 to 44 and 44 per cent for those aged 45 to 54.

4) Can brain tumours be cured without operation?

Surgery is the most popular method of treating brain tumours in adults. The doctor advises removing as much tumour material as possible without harming the brain’s healthy areas. Some surgeries are simple and risk-free because the tumour is in an area that is easily accessible, but others are complicated because the tumour may be situated in a region of the brain that is difficult to access. Even partial resection of a brain tumour in this situation can provide relief for the patient.

But after the procedure, there are dangers including bleeding and infection. The surgeon can propose combining your surgery with treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy if he or she deems it essential. If you are undergoing neurosurgery as well as physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational brain tumour treatment at the same time, you can be cured well without an operation.

5) What occurs following brain surgery?

You’ll remain in the hospital for observation following your procedure. You might just need to stay for one to two days if you have a less intrusive technique like endovascular surgery. However, you might need to stay in the hospital for up to 10 days following an open craniotomy. To stop seizures and brain swelling, you can keep taking steroids or anti-seizure drugs. To recover some functions, you could also require neurorehabilitation. This might entail receiving treatment from occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and physical therapists. If necessary, they can assist you with regaining your strength, mobility, speaking abilities, and capacity to carry out daily chores.

Conclusion

A brain tumour is a highly serious ailment that needs to be treated very once. The location, size, and kind of the tumour typically determine the therapy strategy. Therefore, it is best to receive a diagnosis as soon as you can if you experience any symptoms, especially if you have a family history of brain tumours.