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Brain Tumor Types
Brain tumors are of two kinds.
1. Benign tumors are of slow growing ones, which can be removed or destroyed if present in an accessible location in brain.
2. Malignant tumors (Brain cancer) spread rapidly and destroy normal brain tissue.
Some benign brain tumors may also change over time to become malignant brain tumors. Benign brain tumors can also become as dangerous as malignant brain tumors if they are located in an inaccessible region of brain, such as brain stem. Conversely some malignant brain tumors can be cured.
Brain Tumor Diagnosis
Brain tumors are usually diagnosed with the help of a CT (Computerized topography) scan or CAT scan and in detail with the help of a MRI scan. Sometimes an open biopsy is conducted by removing a piece of skull to get access to brain. Biopsy is the most accurate method of diagnosing a brain tumor.
Brain Tumor Radiation Treatment
Brain tumors are usually treated through surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In general radiation and chemotherapy are used only when the brain tumor cannot be removed by surgery. It is best to have multidisciplinary team consisting of neurosurgeon, neurologist, radiation oncologist, while treating brain tumors.
A lot depends on the patients, attitude of patients matter a lot in the case of brain tumors. Hope is the powerful coping strategy that helps patients to deal with the pain of the moment by looking into the future.
September 18th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
AN UPDATE- French Neurosurgeons recently used a tiny fibre-optic laser to destroy cancerous cells, succesfully treating brain tumours through ultra-keyhole surgery. The surgery was performed with local anaesthesia on eight volunteers who had an average of only 3 months left to live.