Deadly Brain Tumors: What You Need to Know?

An In-depth Look at Brain Diseases – Focusing On Brain Tumors

Generally, brain tumor is abnormal cells growth within the brain or in the skull. These abnormal cell growths could be cancerous (malignant tumors) or non cancerous (benign tumors). Brain tumors generally refer to any intracranial tumor that developed as a result of uncontrolled and abnormal cells division in the brain, in cranial nerves, skull, brain envelopes, pituitary gland; it can even spread from cancers primarily located in other organs (metastatic tumors).

For adults, primary brain tumors (which are true brain tumors) are located in the anterior two-thirds of the cerebral hemisphere; while it is located in the posterior cranial fossa in children. However, every part of the brain is vulnerable to brain tumor attack. An ultimate estimate has it that 13,000 deaths occur each year in the United States as a result of brain tumors.

Brain Tumor Symptoms and signs

The symptoms that will show forth as a result of brain tumors depend on two factors; one is the size of the tumor and the other is the location of the tumor. The time point of the onset of symptoms in the course of the ailment in many cases connects with the nature of the tumor. The benign tumor has a slow growing rate at late symptoms onset while malignant tumors have fast growing rate at early symptom onset.

Based on the location of the tumor and the damages that have already been done in the surrounding brain structures as a result of the tumor; any type of neurologic symptoms may take place such as personality changes, cognitive and behavioral impairment, ataxia, aphasia, hypesthesia, hemiparesis, facial paralysis, double vision, tremor, visual impairment etc. Notwithstanding, these symptoms are not peculiar to brain tumor alone as other neurologic conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury can also produce similar symptoms.

Tests and Diagnosis

In diagnosing brain tumors, Imaging plays a central role. Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance imaging are the non-invasive high resolution modalities that are now in use rather than the early imaging methods that are often invasive and also dangerous. Electrophysiological examinations play a marginal role in the test and diagnosis of brain tumors; such examination is the EEG (Electroencephalography)

Electrophysiological examinations like the electroencephalography (EEG) play a marginal role in the diagnosis of brain tumors. Another likely diagnosis for brain tumor would be the neurofibromatosis done as type 1 or type 2.

However, a definitive diagnosis of brain tumor is only confirmable by histological examination of samples of tumor tissue obtained either by carrying out a brain biopsy or through surgery.

Brain Tumor Treatment and Prognosis

A good number of the meningiomas can be removed successfully by means of surgery, with the exception some of the tumors found at the base of the skull. The viable options are stereotactic radiosurgery which includes Cyberknife, Gamma knife or Novalis Tx radiosurgery. The major treatment option for single metastatic tumors is removal through surgery; then radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy are also therapeutic standards for malignant tumors.

Primary brain tumors survival rates depends on certain factors such as tumor type, functional status of the patient, age, the extent of the surgical tumor remove etc. there’s so much to learn about brain tumors and as such, cannot be exhausted in this piece.