Brain/Tumour Cancer Treatment

Latest Technologies Advance Brain Cancer (Tumors) Surgery to Benefit Patients Brain Tumor is no more a scary health condition as modern technology and advanced surgical modalities now offer near perfect clinical outcomes and the patients can soon return to normal life after surgery.

•  Brain Suite - Intra-operative MR Navigation Microsurgery

•  Trans-Nasal Endoscopic Removal of brain Tumor through the nose

•  Stereotactic Radiosurgery - Gamma Knife & Novalis TX

•  Tumor Embolization using Neuro Interventional Radiology

•  CyberKnife Radiosurgery

Brain Cancer the very words strike fear in the heart of anyone suffering from one. It once was considered as one of the most frightful events that could occur. Though, the treatment of brain cancer is extremely difficult because of polyclonicity, the Blood: Brain barrier, the diffuse infiltrative nature of these tumors, and the perilous location of some tumors. However, with improving technology and the gradual unfolding of scientific understanding of the basic biology of brain tumors, patients and families can look to the future with considerably more hope. Hence with Brain Cancer Surgery performed using these modern methods makes the patient stand up with courage and confidence.

Brain cancer is a malignant tumour or a cancerous growth that takes place in the brain. A tumour could be a mass or growth of abnormal cells inside or closer to the brain that could be cancerous or non-cancerous cells. Cancer or tumour can begin in the brain or start spreading towards the brain from other parts of the body. The tumour that begins in the brain grows slowly and normally does not spread to the other parts of the brain and possibilities of the tumour removal from the brain are high. As the tumour grows in the brain it could damage the nearby tissues and the symptoms could vary from person to person based on the location of the tumour in the brain.

•  Central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma

•  Schwannoma

•  Acoustic neuroma

•  Chordoma

•  ptic nerve glioma

•  Astrocytoma

•  Pituitary neuroectodermal

•  Ganglioneuroma

•  Brain stem glioma

•  Pineal tumors

•  Meningioma

•  Primitive neuroectodermal

•  Medulloblastoma

•  Mixed glioma

•  Craniopharyngioma

•  Headaches

•  Nausea and/or vomiting

•  Difficulty speaking or remembering words

•  Disturbed vision, hearing, smell or taste

•  General irritability or a change in personality - this is sometimes noticed only by family or friends

•  Drowsiness

Surgery: Surgery is often the first treatment if the tumour can be removed without causing harm to the surrounding brain tissue. Treatment of brain cancer is usually complex. Most treatment plans involve several consulting doctors. The team of doctors includes neurosurgeons (surgical specialists in the brain and nervous system), oncologists, radiation oncologists (doctors who practice radiation therapy), and of course, your primary health-care provider. A patient's team may include a dietitian, a social worker, a physical therapist, and probably other specialists.

Chemotherapy – This is another treatment method opted by the doctors for the treatment of brain tumour. This is used for the people with high-grade primary brain tumour or could be used as an initial treatment along with radiotherapy. The chance of completely removing the tumour from the brain with this method is unlikely but helps in shrinking the tumour or controls it in spreading to other parts.

Radiotherapy – In this method of treatment, high levels of energy rays are used to kill the cancer cells, which stop the cancer cells either to grow or multiply further. Radiotherapy is a treatment used when a person cannot undergo a surgery or is used after the surgery if some tumour cells are still remaining. This treatment does not affect the other parts of the body and is localised to where the cancer cells exist.

•  3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT) and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT): CT scan and MRI are used to delineate the tumour and computers are used for radiation planning. Only the tumour and the high-risk region surrounding the tumour is radiated, avoiding radiation to the normal structures in the brain.

•  Stereotactic Radio-surgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT): Highly precise immobilization and image guidance system is used for treatment of selected brain tumours . Stereotactic radio-surgery delivering high-dose of radiation in single or a very few sessions is performed in adults with tumours such as metastatic residual glioma, meningioma and schwannoma. Novalis-Tx and Cyberknife are advanced machines to deliver such high-precision therapy.

•  High-definition Rapid Arc: This is the latest software advancement in radiation planning technology. Radiation is delivered in continuous fashion moving the machine head and its small components simultaneously around the patient's head targeting the tumour by infinite small radiation beams.

•  Proton beam therapy: Proton therapy avoids spillage of radiation dose to the surrounding brain. It is preferred in children as well as in patients with recurrent tumours who have received radiation therapy earlier.

You may want to ask some questions before your treatment begins: