Getting yourself or your loved one diagnosed with a brain tumor can be extremely worrisome. While an ailment like a brain tumor demands extreme caution, one should also keep in mind that India itself sees over 10L cases of brain tumors every year. With advances in medical science, doctors are able to cure most tumors.
Types of brain tumors
There are various types of tumors and multiple ways of classifying them. Primary brain tumors are the ones that originate within the brain while secondary tumors originate in other parts of the body and travel into the brain. Tumors can either be benign or malignant. Malignant tumors are more dangerous as they can spread to surrounding regions of the brain too.
In all, depending on the location, size, and type, there are over 130 types of brain tumor. The three most common types are:
Astrocytoma: The tumors that occur in the most significant part of the brain that is cerebrum are known as astrocytoma. They often lead to frequent seizures or changes in behavior.
Meningioma: They occur in meninges that are the lining of the brain and are the most common primary brain tumors in adults that fall in the age group of 70 and above. They are categorized as benign and grow slowly.
Oligodendroglioma: Tumors occurring in the cells that protect the nerves by making a covering are known as oligodendrogliomas. They grow very slowly and don’t spread to the nearby tissue.
Coping with personality changes
A brain tumor starts affecting not just overall health but also brings specific personality changes in the patients, which need to be addressed by the loved ones around him / her. The tumors often disrupt brain function, affecting personality and behaviour.
Patients typically demonstrate any of the following personality traits:
- Confusion
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Lack of interest and depression
- Aggression or irritability
You may find these changes difficult to cope with, but it becomes imperative that you meet your doctor to get immediate help if you observe them. Your doctor may prescribe you the appropriate medicines because an excess of stress may worsen your brain functioning.
Treatment of brain tumor
Your doctor will recommend the most optimal treatment for removing the tumor from the brain, depending on the location, size, severity, and type of brain tumor.
Surgery: The first resort of brain tumor treatment is always surgery. Doctors often recommend surgeries for grade-1 tumors. For malignant tumors, the doctors will ideally try and remove the entire cancerous region but even if it fails in removing the cancer entirely, the operation is effective in reducing the size and easing the symptoms.
Radiation Therapy: For tumors in specific locations, surgery may not be an optimal solution. For such tumors, radiation therapy often seems a proper treatment. When operations cannot remove the entire tumor, doctors recommend patient radiation therapy, which kills the tumors with the help of a specific amount of radiation aimed at cancer.
Chemotherapy: Used to kill brain cancer cells, chemotherapy is given by mouth or in the form of wafers that the surgeon puts in the brain. Unlike surgical intervention and radiation therapy, chemotherapy works throughout your body.
Talking about the recovery time is a course time of 4 to 8 weeks, and hospital stay is a week or two. Chemotherapy is a long term treatment procedure for which the patient requires multiple hospitalizations.
The recovery period varies from patient to patient, depending on the severity of one’s condition. Brain surgeries are often accompanied by multiple risks and complications, which may be fatal as well. So, it’s critically necessary for the doctor and patient to have a thorough discussion about all the possible repercussions of the treatment.
Choose Ayu Health
Ayu Health is India’s most trusted network of hospitals. All of our hospitals are accredited by NABH, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers. Our Centres of Excellence for Neurosciences provides the full range of treatment for all types of brain tumors, applying modern microsurgical and image guided techniques to the removal of complex and deep seated tumors involving the brain. Our neurosurgeons are ably supported by our Centres of Excellence for Oncology for malignant tumors.
Also, our fixed-price policy and complete coverage of insurance ensures our patients do not need to worry about costs of treatment.
If you are looking for a leading hospital and an expert doctor who can treat and perform the effective surgical intervention for treating your brain tumor, you can call +91 – 6366 100 800 or visit us at our website.
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About the Author
Dr. S. Goel
Dr. S. Goel is a renowned Internal Medicine Specialist currently practicing at Ayu Health, Bangalore. He is a Specialist in Internal Medicine, Diabetes HTN, Paediatric Care, and Family Medicine.