Advancements in Medical Technology Transform Brain Tumour Treatment

Hyderabad: With June 8 being observed as World Brain Tumour Day, physicians say advancements in medical technology have improvised the treatment systems and made them more effective.

“There is a need to demystify the myth that every brain tumour is cancerous. Not so. Brain tumours could be either malignant meaning cancerous or benign, which are noncancerous,” they explain.

Senior consultant neurosurgeon Dr Brahma Prasad explained that the types of brain tumours that are usually benign include chordomas, craniopharyngiomas, meningiomas, pituitary tumours and Schwannomas.

“Approximately 78 per cent of cancerous primary brain tumours are gliomas that grow slowly and are not considered cancerous. These tumours develop in glial cells that surround and assist the nerve cells. Types of gliomas include astrocytomas, ependymomas, Glioblastomas GBM, Medulloblastomas in children etc.,” he said.

The international association of cancer registries (IARC) says over 28,000 cases of brain tumours are reported in the country a year and more than 24,000 people die due to brain tumours annually.

Dr Sudhir Kumar, senior consultant neurologist, listed the symptoms of brain tumour as follows: “Headache, vomiting, reduced alertness, fits, and paralysis. In several cases, these classical symptoms may be missing.”

It is important to know the lesser-known symptoms so that they can be diagnosed and treated at the earliest. Increase in the sizes of hat and shoes over time, milk production from breasts in a woman who is neither breastfeeding nor pregnant, loss of vision, loss of smell, impaired hearing, depressive symptoms, rapidly progressive dementia, etc are some of the major symptoms of brain tumour.

Doctors say technological advancement and research have changed the scenario of brain tumour treatment in a very effective manner.

Consultant neuro and spine surgeon at a leading hospital in Hyderabad Dr Ravi Suman told Deccan Chronicle, “The priority in treatment now is functionality and safety of the patient, enabling the patient to get back to work as early as possible after the treatment. Advanced technology has helped us achieve this.”

Benign tumour treatment of less than three centimetre size can be cured with non-invasive treatment called stereotactic radiosurgery, which is a day care procedure with no incision or blood loss. This is very safe and effective. The  patient can go home the next day, he said.

“Malignant tumours can be treated based on prognosis with the help of advanced technology such as PET scan, neuro-monitoring and intra-operative radiotherapy.”

The doctor said molecular genetic assessments are available for individual patients. Based on the type of tumor, personalised immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatments are available for patients based on the type of tumor. Post-treatment robotic physiotherapy was also available for rehabilitation of the patient, which speeds up recovery.