What Is Brain Tumor?

Brain tumor is a build-up of abnormal cells in the brain. It is dangerous since as the cancerous cells grow, they occupy the space of healthy cells. They can grow aggressively and use up essential blood and nutrients that healthy cells need.

If the patient is healthy, surgery is the best option to treat the condition. If it cannot be removed, then the aim is to control its growth. The procedure opted for changes based on factors like the type, size, and location of the tumour. The patient’s age and general health also play a decisive role. 

The following are the available treatment options:

Surgery:

Craniotomy is the conventional procedure for brain surgery, wherein the surgeon opens up the skull. In case of more complex tumours, a biopsy may be taken to decide on the mode of treatment.

Radiation therapy:

High-powered rays are used to destroy tumour cells. This can be done through either external radiation over several weeks or implant radiation therapy over several days. Gamma-knife surgery or stereotactic surgery is a recent medical advance. It delivers concentrated radiation to the tumour from many angles. It requires only a single session.

Chemotherapy:

Cancer-killing drugs are given to the patient either orally or by injection. In intrathecal chemotherapy, the drugs are injected to the cerebrospinal fluid. Chemotherapy generally extends over a long period of time.