Advanced & Patient-Centric Brain Tumor Treatment In India
Do you have apprehensions related to brain tumor removal procedures and the side effects related to them?
You want faster recovery and a hassle-free treatment process. Brain tumor treatment in India is one way to make sure that your treatment journey is smooth and that you recover faster.
Brain tumors can be aggressive and the condition may deteriorate fast if the tumor is not detected and treated early.
So, early detection and treatment are important to live a tumor-free healthy life.
Hence without wasting any more time, let’s learn what a brain tumor is and how coming to India can help you treat it effectively.
What is Brain Tumor?
A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of the cells present in the brain that is uncontrollable.
The brain tumors can be:
- Benign or non-cancerous
- Malignant or cancerous
Apart from being cancerous and non-cancerous brain tumors can be:
Primary tumor: Primary brain tumors originate in the brain or the central nervous system.
Secondary brain tumors or metastatic brain tumors: This type of brain tumor develops when cancer from other parts of the body like the lungs, and esophagus spreads to the brain.
What are the different types of Brain Tumors?
There are around 120 types of brain tumors and some of the most common types of brain tumors are called gliomas. Gliomas arise from glial cells and the glial cells support the function of the neurons.
Gliomas can be categorized as Astrocytoma, Oligodendroglioma, Ependymoma, and Glioblastoma.
Astrocytoma originates from cells known as astrocytes which are branch-like structure that supports nerve cells. The different types are Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma, which falls under Grade 1, Low-Grade Astrocytoma, and Anaplastic Astrocytoma.
- Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma (JPA) develops in the cerebrum, optic nerve tracts, the brainstem, and the cerebellum. (parts of the brain)
- It is common in children and adolescents.
- Low-grade astrocytomas are slow-growing.
- Very few cases spread to other parts of the CNS.
- Anaplastic Astrocytoma progresses and invades more rapidly than low-grade astrocytomas.
- Tumor cells are not all the same in their appearance either.
- It Invades neighboring tissue.
- It is prevalent in both men and women of the age bracket 30-50 years.
It originates in the glial cells known as oligodendrocytes.
- Oligodendroglioma is seen mainly in the frontal or the temporal lobe (parts of the brain).
- It can be categorized as low grade or high grade.
- Prevalent in young adults and middle-aged men and women, but it can also be present in children.
Ependymoma develops from the cells that form the lining of the passages that carry cerebrospinal fluid.
- It can be either cancerous or noncancerous.
- The cancerous type can invade the neighbouring tissues and can press on the nerves.
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive and most frequent of the malignant primary brain tumors in the adult and belongs to the category of gliomas.
Categorized as grade 4 astrocytoma which is the most aggressive form, GBM arises from a type of cells known as glia.
GBM occurs mainly in the cerebral hemispheres (parts of the brain) but can occur anywhere in the brain or brainstem (part of the brain) or the spinal cord.
- It is often made up of one or more than one type of cell.
- It may arise from lower-grade astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma
- More frequent in the elderly and men than in women
- It is, however, less frequent in children.
The other types of brain tumors apart from gliomas are CNS Lymphoma, Craniopharyngioma, Medulloblastoma, Primitive Neuroectodermal, and Acoustic Neuroma.
CNS Lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system in the brain.
- CNS Lymphoma is very aggressive.
- Usually, it involves multiple tumors throughout the central nervous system (CNS).
- It is more common in people whose immune systems are compromised.
- It often develops in the brain, commonly in the areas adjacent to the ventricles (parts of the brain).
It is most common in the parasellar region, an area at the base of the brain and near the optic nerves.
- Craniopharyngioma tends to be low-grade.
- It is often accompanied by a cyst.
It is often located in the cerebellum or near the brain stem (parts of the brain).
- Medulloblastoma can spread to the spinal cord through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
- It can cause hydrocephalus (water on the brain).
- It occurs most often in children under the age of 10 but may occur in adults.
This category consists of several tumor types including Pineoblastoma, which affects the pineal gland, Medulloblastoma which afflicts the cerebellum and Cerebral Cortex (parts of the brain).
- Primitive Neuroectodermal is very hostile and tends to spread throughout the CNS.
- It develops from the basic structures of the brain cells.
Acoustic neuroma also goes by other names such as schwannoma, vestibular schwannoma, or neurilemmoma.
- Acoustic Neuroma occurs in cells that are involved in the covering for nerve fibers.
- Usually, it develops near the eighth cranial nerve(cranial nerves are those nerves that arise from the brain); however, it may develop closeby to any other cranial or spinal nerves.
What is the difference between Cancerous and Non-Cancerous Brain Tumors?
Brain tumor results from uncoordinated and uncontrolled growth of the brain cells. In some people with brain tumors, the abnormal cell growth is rapid, while in a few people, it is slow.
Generally, cancerous tumors multiply and spread rapidly, whereas, in non-cancerous tumors, the cell multiplies slowly. Non-cancerous tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.
Brain tumors need proper care and treatment, even if they are non-cancerous. By initiating timely treatment, you can avoid severe complications and damage caused to other areas of the brain and spine.
What are the symptoms of Brain Tumors?
Typically, brain and other nervous system tumors do not cause any symptoms. However, the overgrowing tissue presses the neighbouring nerve tissues. The symptoms of brain tumors are not the same for everyone, but it depends on the location of it. However, the common symptoms of brain tumor include:
- Morning headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
- Difficulty in walking as the body loses its ability to balance
- One might experience vision, hearing, or speech problems or sometimes all three
- Loss of memory
- Changes in personality, mood, and focus
- Constant numbness or tingling sensation in the hands or legs
Who is at risk for developing Brain Tumors?
Anything that elevates your possibility of developing the disease is called a risk factor. The risk factors for brain tumors include:
- Prolonged exposure to X-ray or other harmful radiation
- Family history of cancer
- People with genetic syndromes like Von Hippel Lindau Disease
- People having cancer elsewhere in the body
What are the different grades of Brain Tumors?
The different grades of tumors show the extent of the spread and growth of the brain tumor. Broadly brain tumors are divided into four grades, i.e., from Grade 1 (the least aggressive) to Grade 4 (the most aggressive). The features of different grades of brain tumor are:
Grade I brain tumor:-
- Usually non-cancerous
- The growth of the brain tumor in this stage is slow
- Unlike in advanced grades, the change in the structure of the cells is minimal in grade 1 brain tumor
- Have good prognosis
Grade II brain tumor:-
- In this stage, the brain tumor grows at a relatively slow speed
- Cancer begins to spread in the neighboring structures
- Changes in the appearance of the tumor cells start to become evident
Grade III brain tumor:-
- The structure of the cells becomes abnormal
- The cells divide at a relatively high speed
- Tumor cells infiltrate the neighboring structures
Grade IV brain tumor:-
- Cancerous
- Very aggressive
- The brain tumor grows abnormally fast
- Spreads to other parts of the brain
- Abnormal structure of the cells
- New blood vessels form around the brain tumor to maintain its growth
- Necrosis or cell death begins to start in the tumor
What is Brain Tumor Staging?
Brain tumor staging helps to determine the extent of the spread of cancer. If the brain tumor is secondary, staging is essential as it lets the doctor know the extent of the spread of the tumor. However, for primary brain tumors staging is not required because primary brain tumors do not spread beyond the nervous system.
How is a Brain Tumor diagnosed?
If you are experiencing the symptoms of brain cancer, your doctor can suggest that you undergo a few tests to confirm the diagnosis.
During the physical examination, your doctor will check the reflexes of your body along with muscle strength. Along with that, your doctor will also check your vision, alertness, coordination, and balance.
If your doctor finds something amiss he can refer you to a neurologist for a detailed neurological examination.