Brain is made up of several parts that control body functions. The abnormal division of cells in brain causes brain tumor that can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign are slow growing tumors that generally do not spread to other areas whereas malignant grows faster and can be invasive & life threatening. Malignant brain tumor can be primary or secondary. Tumor that originates in brain are called primary brain tumor and when tumor cells from other organ of the body travel to brain and spread their secondarily, tumor is called secondary or metastatic brain tumor.
Symptoms of brain tumor:Brain tumor symptoms depend upon the location, size and type of tumor as different parts of brain control different functions in body. Majorly, people with brain tumor (primary or secondary) often suffer from symptoms like:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Loss of senses like sensory (touch), motor (movement control), speech, hear and vision
- Numbness or tingling in limbs
- Blood clot
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Depression
- Behavioral and cognitive (thinking) changes
- Endocrine dysfunction (hormone/gland changes)
- Problem with walk and memory
- Inability to concentrate
- Weakness or paralysis of one or more part/side of the body
Diagnosis of brain tumor: All these symptoms can occur in other diseases too, so thorough examination of patient is required to conclude any disease. Physician performs physical and neurological examination followed by diagnostic tests like CT scan, Angiogram, MRI or biopsy.
Types of brain tumor:Primary brain tumors are classified according to the arising tissue, most common being glial (supportive) tissue. The tumor is called GLIOMA and is of following types:
· Astrocytoma(includes glioblastoma multiforme) arising from small, star-shaped cells called astrocytes.
- Oligodendroglioma arising from myelin cells.
- Ependymoma arising in the lining of ventricles.
Other brain tumors that do not arise in glial tissues are:
- Meningioma arising from meninges of brain.
- Haemangioblastoma arising from blood vessel cells.
- Schwannoma/Acoustic neuroma arising from Schwann cells.
- Craniopharyngioma arising in the area of the pituitary gland near hypothalamus.
- Lymphoma arising in lymphatic system of brain or spinal cord.
- Germ cell tumor arising in sex or germ cells.
- Pineal region tumor arising in or around the pineal gland.
- Pituitary tumor arising from the gland tissue and are called adenomas.
- Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (including medulloblastoma) arising from left over cells of development in the womb.
Treatment of brain tumor: Treatment of brain tumor typically depends upon the type, location and size of the tumor. Other factors like patient's age (child or adult) and general health also play major role in deciding treatment type and schedule. Generally the treatment includes:
- Surgery: Surgery is mostly the first step in treating most of the brain tumors. Neurosurgeon attempts to remove either the entire or maximum part of tumor without damaging surrounding vital brain tissue. If entire tumor cannot be removed, partial removal is done to reduce pressure on brain and hence relieve symptoms.
- Radiotherapy:High-power rays are used in radiotherapy to either damage cancer cells/tumor tissue or stop their growth.
- Chemotherapy: Single or combination drugs are given either orally or by injection to kill cancer cells. Sometimes, intrathecal chemotherapy is given by injecting drug into the cerebrospinal fluid.
Brain is made up of several parts that control body functions. The abnormal division of cells in brain causes brain tumor that can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign are slow growing tumors that generally do not spread to other areas whereas malignant grows faster and can be invasive & life threatening. Malignant brain tumor can be primary or secondary. Tumor that originates in brain are called primary brain tumor and when tumor cells from other organ of the body travel to brain and spread their secondarily, tumor is called secondary or metastatic brain tumor.
Symptoms of brain tumor:Brain tumor symptoms depend upon the location, size and type of tumor as different parts of brain control different functions in body. Majorly, people with brain tumor (primary or secondary) often suffer from symptoms like:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Loss of senses like sensory (touch), motor (movement control), speech, hear and vision
- Numbness or tingling in limbs
- Blood clot
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Depression
- Behavioral and cognitive (thinking) changes
- Endocrine dysfunction (hormone/gland changes)
- Problem with walk and memory
- Inability to concentrate
- Weakness or paralysis of one or more part/side of the body
Diagnosis of brain tumor: All these symptoms can occur in other diseases too, so thorough examination of patient is required to conclude any disease. Physician performs physical and neurological examination followed by diagnostic tests like CT scan, Angiogram, MRI or biopsy.
Types of brain tumor:Primary brain tumors are classified according to the arising tissue, most common being glial (supportive) tissue. The tumor is called GLIOMA and is of following types:
· Astrocytoma(includes glioblastoma multiforme) arising from small, star-shaped cells called astrocytes.
- Oligodendroglioma arising from myelin cells.
- Ependymoma arising in the lining of ventricles.
Other brain tumors that do not arise in glial tissues are:
- Meningioma arising from meninges of brain.
- Haemangioblastoma arising from blood vessel cells.
- Schwannoma/Acoustic neuroma arising from Schwann cells.
- Craniopharyngioma arising in the area of the pituitary gland near hypothalamus.
- Lymphoma arising in lymphatic system of brain or spinal cord.
- Germ cell tumor arising in sex or germ cells.
- Pineal region tumor arising in or around the pineal gland.
- Pituitary tumor arising from the gland tissue and are called adenomas.
- Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (including medulloblastoma) arising from left over cells of development in the womb.
Treatment of brain tumor: Treatment of brain tumor typically depends upon the type, location and size of the tumor. Other factors like patient's age (child or adult) and general health also play major role in deciding treatment type and schedule. Generally the treatment includes:
- Surgery: Surgery is mostly the first step in treating most of the brain tumors. Neurosurgeon attempts to remove either the entire or maximum part of tumor without damaging surrounding vital brain tissue. If entire tumor cannot be removed, partial removal is done to reduce pressure on brain and hence relieve symptoms.
- Radiotherapy:High-power rays are used in radiotherapy to either damage cancer cells/tumor tissue or stop their growth.
- Chemotherapy: Single or combination drugs are given either orally or by injection to kill cancer cells. Sometimes, intrathecal chemotherapy is given by injecting drug into the cerebrospinal fluid.
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