Today is World Brain Tumour Day

Brain tumor is a collection of abnormal cells in brain. The skull is very rigid any such tumors in brain can cause problems. When such tumors grow inside brain it causes the pressure inside the brain to increase. Two types of brain tumors are: benign and malignant.

Brain tumors may arise from brain, or from coverings of brain called dura and nerve and its sheath. Brain tumors may spread from other persists of the body. They are called secondary tumors.

In children, brain tumors are common in 0-15 years. In adults, they are common 50 to 70 years. Primary brain tumors can be benign or malignant. Malignant brain tumors are called as brain cancer. They are more sessions, grow fact. They can spread for other persists of the body. Secondary tumors can spread for lungs, thyroid, breast, and kidney.

Risk factors:

• Family history very few % of tumors run in families.

• Ionizing radiation-high dose X-ray

• Exposure to contain chemicals-Formal dehydrate

• Vinyl chloride

Signs and symptoms: -

• Headache

• Vomiting, change in speech

• Seizures (fits)

• Difficulty in walking , loss of speech

• Visual disturbance

• Diagnosis:

• C.T. Scan brain and if required

• MRI-Brain can be done

• Blood investigations-CSF analysis

Treatment:

• Surgery

• For malignant tumors-

• Chemotherapy

• Radiation therapy

• Stereotactic radio surgery

(Writer is Consultant Neurosurgeon, KIMS SAVEERA Hospital, Anantapur) 

By Dr R Rama Mohan Naik