A recent report released by Cancer.net suggests that the chances of developing a brain tumor in the entire lifetime are less than 1%. Yet, it stands at the 10th position in causing deaths out of many other neurological disorders. Hard to digest, but brain tumors tend to cause more than 20,000 deaths every year, and the number seems to be rising.
As per neurosurgeons, the underlying reason for this remains the lack of awareness among people and their negligent attitude. People often avoid alarming signs and linger on for taking the treatment.

Let us understand what a brain tumor is, its symptoms, and substantial treatments for early detection and timely treatment.

What is a brain tumor?

The human body is made up of cells that grow, divide, and multiply with natural body processes. The process replaces the damaged cells with new cells in any and every part of the body. But at times, the body commits mistakes, which results in the formation of abnormal cells. To counter this, the natural body mechanism fights to destroy all the abnormal cells.

However, when abnormal cells’ growth bypasses its destruction pace, it results in the formation of tumors. The presence of such abnormal cells in the brain forms a brain tumor. the warning sign of brain tumor refers to a mass or lump of abnormal cells that grow and multiply in an uncontrolled way. 

What are the types of brain tumor?

According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 120 types of brain tumors, which are broadly classified as either primary or secondary brain tumors. When further branched, the doctors determine the brain tumor’s grade to form a dedicated treatment plan for the patient. 

Let’s understand the types of brain tumors to:

• Primary brain tumor

The tumors that tend to root in the brain and remain there are referred to as the primary brain tumors. 

• Secondary brain tumor

The tumors slightly more common than the former tend to grow in some other body part and then travel to the brain. For instance, lung, breast, kidney, or skin cancer have high chances of traveling to the brain and causing brain tumors. 

Now, after the discovery of a brain tumor’s type, the doctors search for the cancerous cells and classify the tumor as the following:

• Benign brain tumors

Tumors having no cancer cells are termed as benign brain tumors. Such tumors tend to grow slowly and rarely affect the tissue around. But, this doesn’t make them any less fatal for the patients. So, as soon as benign tumors are discovered in the body, it is highly recommended to remove them. 

• Malignant brain tumors

Unlike benign tumors, malignant tumors tend to grow quickly and also invade the tissue surrounding them. This is because they have cancerous cells that make them highly risky and they often grow beyond the spinal cord.
Malign or benign, the doctors measure the grade of both kinds of the tumor to determine the appropriate treatment for the patient. The grading gives an idea of how fast a tumor can grow and spread. 

The grading system can be divided as:

• Grade 1: When the cells look normal and grow at a normal pace, the tumor falls into the grade-1 category. Such tumors have the least fatality rates, that means survival is long term.
• Grade 2: The tumors that are abnormal and observed invading the nearby tissue are given the grade-2 measurement. A person with grade-2 tumors has life-threatening risks.
• Grade 3: The cells growing exponentially and having abnormal looks fall under the grade-3 category. There are high chances of their recurrence.
• Grade 4: Tumors of this grade have the most abnormal-looking cells, which are growing rapidly. The patient is at a very high risk of fatal results.  

Signs and symptoms of a brain tumor?

Brain tumors’ symptoms vary from patient to patient depending on the type of brain tumor and its extent of the damage. 

However, the most common symptoms observed in every patient include:

• The onset of headache that gradually becomes more severe and frequent
• Nausea or vomiting
• Problems with vision ending in double vision, blurred vision, or loss of peripheral vision
• The gradual loss of movement and sensation in arms or legs
• Difficulty while speaking, hearing, and balancing
• Inability to understand things and loss of interest in everything
• Behavior and personality changes
• Seizures in people with a history of not having one
• Facial numbness, pain, and weakness
• Depression, memory loss, and confusion

What are the risk factors for developing brain tumors

In most cases, the underlying cause of a brain tumor is unknown. However, recent studies have dug certain factors that can raise the chances of housing brain tumors. Risk factors tend to increase the chances of a brain tumor, but should not be confused with being the cause of a brain tumor. 

So, it becomes critical to know these risk factors and make informed decisions about lifestyle changes. Therefore, risk factors include:

• Age: According to several studies and observations made by neurologists in Amritsar, brain tumors tend to occur in children and old adults in comparison to other age groups. However, it may not be true for every case.
• Gender: Another observation made indicates that men are more prone to house a brain tumor than women. But, women tend to be at higher risk when it comes to meningioma (a type of brain tumor).
• Family history: The inheritance rate of brain tumors stands to be 5-10% as per the studies. If you have a history of a brain tumor in your family, and you are also showing signs, it is high time to consult the doctor as early as possible.
• Exposure to allergens and chemicals:Being exposed to a specific set of allergens or chemicals can increase the risk of brain tumors. You can refer to a list of all such chemicals that raise the chances of a brain tumor released by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. So, your call is to be cautious while you are at home or work and avoid getting exposed to such chemicals.
• Radiation exposure: >Ionizing radiation is another highly prevalent factor that increases the risk of a brain tumor. Nuclear fallouts often spread such radiations, which is the rarest of the rare cases. But, certain high radiation cancer treatments or therapies are the primary cause of exposure to ionizing radiations, which raise the risk of brain tumor.

What are the treatments for a brain tumor?

A patient’s accurate diagnosis and substantial treatment plan pivots on numerous factors like age, health condition, brain tumor type, location, and grade. So, depending on your prognosis, the doctor can recommend any of the following treatments. 

• Surgery: 

Surgery is the foremost treatment when it comes to the removal of low-grade tumors. Especially in first-grade tumors, surgery is the first and only treatment that can successfully remove the entire brain tumor. In cases where the surgery does not remove the entire tumor, it eases the symptoms and reduces the tumor’s size. 

• Chemotherapy:

 >Another treatment for a brain tumour is chemotherapy, which uses specific drugs to kill the brain tumour cells. The treatment is highly helpful in restricting the cells from dividing and growing. The surgeon performs chemotherapy through mouth, IV, or by putting wafers in the brain, which is an uncommon method among all. 

• Radiation therapy:

A treatment performed along with the surgery or chemotherapy aims to destroy the cancerous cells in the brain or restrict their growth. The procedure is conducted by an expert oncologist using high x-rays. However, if possible, radiation therapy can be performed alone without any need for surgery or chemotherapy. 

• Targeted therapy: 

As the name suggests, the treatment targets certain types of tumour cells and kills them. It is used for curing certain types of brain tumours by restricting their cancerous cells from growing. 

Final takeaway

The door to safety opens only with the enlightenment of awareness. Therefore, issues like brain tumors can only be prevented by addressing them at the initial stages. So, it is highly critical to know the signs that indicate the need to consult the neurologist. When you discover any unusual symptoms as mentioned above, immediately fix an appointment without delay.
The more you delay in getting the treatment, the worse the situation gets. So, if you are looking for an expert neurologist, connect with Smt. Parvati Devi Hospital right away! Our decades of experience in clinical excellence accompanied by dedicated care and professionalism has helped us ace the healthcare industry by providing 24X7 neurology facilities.