BRAIN TUMORS
Brain tumors can come up in two ways. One is the tumor that develops from the tissues of the brain itself and the other is cancer that occurs in another part of the body and later spreads to the central nervous system (metastasis).
Tumors of the brain may be benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors gradually grow in the brain, occupy space, are properly confined, and often encapsulated. Benign tumors can be completely removed by location. Malignant tumors spread into the brain in the form of fingers. Therefore, the margins of the malignant tumors are not very clear. It is often not possible to remove them completely.
The other tumors that we see in the brain are cancer that starts in another part of the body, which we call metastasis. In fact, the most common brain tumors are metastases. 80% of tumors appear in the brain are metastases. It is frequently seen in lung, breast, and prostate cancers.
A headache could be the first symptom that a patient may get when it comes to symptoms of brain tumors. Especially headaches may be present woken up in the early morning. Headaches are woken up in the morning. These headaches may be severe in the morning and may ease during the rest of the day.It is more morning and may decrease during the day. As the tumor progresses further, numbness, tingling, loss of muscle strength may begin on a side of the body. The patient may experience epileptic seizures. If the disease progresses further, behavioral changes may disorder begin and the patient may lose consciousness afterward. Diagnosis is made by listening to the complaints of the patient, medical examination, and radiological tests.
The primary treatment option is surgical management. However, depending on the patient’s condition, it can wait for a while, and radiotherapy can be performed. Another treatment option is chemotherapy (medical treatment). Usually, these three forms of treatment options are combined together. Commonly operated before giving radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Once the pathological diagnosis of the tumor is made than radiotherapy and chemotherapy are planned accordingly. The reason for this practice is that not all of brain tumors are sensitive to radiation therapy or drug therapy. The extent to which tumors are sensitive to radiation therapy or drug therapy is recognized after pathological diagnosis. Afterward, rehabilitation can be performed if necessary.