Treatment For Brain Tumour

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Treatment for brain cancer depends on the age of the patient, the stage of the disease, the type and location of the tumor, and whether the cancer is a main tumor or brain metastases. The treatment plan is developed by the multidisciplinary team consisting of radiation oncologists neurooncologists, medical oncologists, neurosurgeons, and the patient. It involves any combination of radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Some tumors need several different surgical procedures, and some can be treated with radiation alone.

Surgery: Surgery is the treatment of choice for accessible contained primary brain tumors, when the patient is in good health. The main goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible without damaging nearby normal brain tissue.

Craniotomy: It is to eradicate as much of the tumor as possible. The procedure is performed under common anesthesia and involves opening the skull (cranium).

Laser microsurgery: MRI is used to identify the location of the tumor and a laser is used to destroy the tumor. This procedure may be used following craniotomy to remove remaining tumor tissue.

Brain-mapping: It is performed below sedation and local anesthesia. Electrodes encourage nerves in the brain and measure responses. The surgeon removes as much of the tumor as possible without damaging essential areas of the brain, such as those that control motor function and speech.

Radiation Therapy: Radiation is used when the complete primary tumor cannot be surgically removed. Radiation therapists use several different approaches to treat primary brain tumor like Proton beam radiation therapy, Brachytherapy, Stereotactic radiosurgery, External-beam radiation, and 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is normally not a very effective treatment for most malignant primary brain tumors or metastatic tumors. The problem with chemotherapy is that it works by interrupting mitosis, the procedure of cell division. Many brain tumors mature slowly by nature, so slowing their growth by chemotherapy doesn't do much good. Chemotherapy is also used as a

--> radio-sensitizing agent with radiation to control a recurrent tumor and to treat patients who can no longer accept radiation therapy.

Supportive therapy

Immunotherapy: Different techniques that attempt to boost a person's immune system so that it more effectively fights the tumor cells are used as supportive therapy.

Gene therapy: Inserting genes into a person's tumor cells or immune system to change the way the tumor cells function.

Steroid therapy: Steroids are drugs that are used to reduce the swelling that frequently surrounds brain tumors. Even though steroids do not treat the tumor itself, they are very useful in improving symptoms and making you feel better. They may be used after or before surgery, after or during radiotherapy.

Anticonvulsant medicines: Anticonvulsants are drugs to stop epileptic fits. These medicines are given for people who have brain tumors and also after brain surgery. Some normally used types are phenytoin and carbamazepine.