by: Mahiyan Chakraborty
Written by Dr Amit Halder, Director of Neurology, Fortis Hospital, Anandapur, Kolkata, where he describes that, a brain tumor is a mass or growth of abnormal cells in the brain. They can occur in all age groups. They may originate from the brain, or they may spread from other areas of the body to the brain. They can be broadly classified as benign or malignant.
A benign or non-cancerous brain tumor grows relatively slowly in the brain. On the other hand, malignant tumors are cancerous and can spread rapidly.
If brain tumors start in the brain, they are called primary tumors. A person is said to have a secondary or metastatic tumor if the tumor starts in another part of the body and then spreads to the brain. Either way, both need to be treated in time, otherwise, they can be potentially life-threatening.
It is important to understand the symptoms, that not all cases of brain tumors will be initially symptomatic. For example, one of the most common forms of brain tumors, meningiomas grow so slowly that they may not cause symptoms until they are large enough to compress or invade the underlying brain parenchyma.
Some symptoms that are often overlooked but may be related to a brain tumor include headaches that may be intense, persistent, or new-onset. A chronic headache may show a sudden change of character. motor symptoms, including difficulty walking, muscle weakness, problems with coordination, weakness on one side of the body, dizziness or blurred vision or double vision or symptoms of hearing or swallowing, gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea or headache, and Includes unbearable vomiting with blurred vision. Diagnosis may be delayed due to increased intracranial tension, cognitive impairment such as personality changes, inability to speak or understand language, or mental confusion.
Tumors of the pituitary gland may present only with hormonal changes, at other times, the first presentation may be dramatic with tonic-clonic convulsions with foaming from the mouth.
Each brain tumor case is different, and each person who has the condition may react differently depending on their health history and the location of the tumor. For example, a brain tumor in the cerebellum at the back of the head can cause impairment of body movement, walking, balance, and coordination. On the other hand, if the tumor is affecting the optic tract of the person, it can affect their vision and vision. Personality changes (such as mood swings) may occur as a result of a benign tumor located in the anterior part of the brain. These symptoms sometimes get misdiagnosed, so a specialist medical team is needed to correctly diagnose such cases based on history and investigations.
Since the symptoms of most brain tumors seem non-specific, they are often overlooked and mistaken for more general disorders such as headache, depression, gastritis or dementia. A person’s prognosis depends on the size and nature of his tumor and how early it is detected. If one is experiencing any of these symptoms, one should seek medical help as soon as possible.
Radiological advances (computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging) over the past three decades have led to the identification of the smallest tumors. Early diagnosis can make some tumors resistant.
The take-home message is to seek medical help quickly. The earlier the diagnosis, the smaller the lesion size. The smaller the wound, the better the result. An expert team of doctors that includes a neurologist, neurosurgeon, pathologist and an oncologist will be able to design an individualized treatment plan. A cure should be the treatment goal. If no cure is possible, palliative therapy can go a long way in alleviating the pain.
