Brain tumour day is celebrated every year on 8th of June. This initiative was taken by German brain tumour association and is now celebrated worldwide. The main intention of this is to raise awareness and educate people about brain tumors. The main reason is because there are lot of misconceptions among the public regarding brain tumours.
Brain tumours are common in children and less common in adults .
The prevalence of brain tumours in India 5 -10 per 100000 population. Primary brain tumours are Gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenoma and Acoustic neuroma or they may represent spread of distant cancers from lungs, breast, kidney and prostate in secondary or metastatic cancers. Brain tumours are 2nd leading cause of cancers in children.
Clinical presentation are non specific like Headache , vomiting more in the morning and gait disturbance which can be diagnosed by Neurosurgeon in the early stage so that it helps to plan further management in initial stage of disease.
Other symptoms are weakness of oneside of the body. gait ataxia, focal seizures, visual changes. New onset seizure or headcahe in adult or headache associated with weakness or numbness can be the presentation.
Diagnosis is done by some specific clinical tests done by Neurosurgeon and imaging modalities like CT and MRI. The higher magnet Mri like 3 T is breakthrough application which helps in the proper dilineation of tumour , planning of surgery by demonstration of functional normal tissues of the brain surrounding the brain so that they can be preserved. One of the kind MRI 3 T ia available at Dr. Prabhakar kore hospital Belagavi
Diagnosis of brain tumour does not mean very poor outcome which is a misconception. Lot of brain tumours are benign and can be cured completely. Even in malignant tumors long term survival is possible with good surgical resection.
Brain tumour surgery is becoming more safe with judicious use of newer technology like Neuronavigation, stereotaxy , Fluoroscence guided resection and CUSA. These technologies are present in Dr Prabhakar kore hospital which has Easynav neuronavigation , Integra cusa and OHX microscope which has features of Flouroscein guided brain tumour surgery.
Outcome and survival depends mostly on age , type of tumour whether benign or malignant, extent of surgical resection and molecular characterisation. Recent studies on molecular markers have opened new treatment modalities in brain and spine tumours. Now they are increasingly treated based on molecular staging.
Dr. Prakash Mahantshetti
Sr. Neuro Surgeon
KLES Dr. Prabhakar KoreHospital, Belagavi.
