Brain tumor once diagnosed it should be treated as soon as possible, as expedient surgery has certain advantages, if the patient delays the surgery then there can be a negative impact and the risk involved is much higher. But before making any decision to get into surgery you should explore all the additional options available to get the best and right treatment for you or your loved one. Vaidam health is one stop solution to all your queries as it provides expert medical advice to get the quality treatment from the best doctors of India.Some types of brain tumors grow rapidly,other tumors grow slowly. Considering all these factors, your expert medical adviser will talk with you about how soon treatment should start after diagnosis.
Treatment options includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Your treatment plan may also include care for symptoms and side effects, which is an important part of your complete treatment.
Treatment options and its recommendations depend on various factors:
- The tumor size, type, and its grade
- The level of pressure the tumor is putting on the vital parts of the brain.
- Other parts of body which is affected by the tumor.
- Its possible side effects
- The patient’s overall health and preferences.
- Health Care Proxy
Surgery
Removal of tumor in the brain and some surrounding healthy tissues during the operation is called surgery.As for the low-grade brain tumor only surgery is done as a treatment therefore it is the first treatment used for brain tumor. Neurological symptoms can be improved by removing the tumor, also as the surgery provides tissue for diagnosis, it helps make other brain tumor treatments more effective.
A doctor who specializes in surgery on the brain and spinal column is known as a neurosurgeon. For the surgery a part of the skull is removed to get access to the area with the tumor it is called craniotomy ,and as the surgery is done then the patient’s own bone is used to cover the opened skull.
In India brain tumor surgery has advanced rapidly, by using cortical mapping that allows doctors to search for areas of the brain that control the senses, language, and motor skills, another tool to plan and perform surgery is enhanced imaging devices. Like computer-based techniques, for example Image Guided Surgery, which helps surgeons to locate the location of the tumor very accurately. This technique is very specialized and may not be widely available, another advanced technique is fluorescent dyes which is taken by tumor cells.
Doctors use a special microscope to look at the cells that have used the dye which helps doctors safely remove as much of the tumor as possible. Sometimes, surgery is not possible because the tumor is located in a place the surgeon cannot reach, or it is near a vital structure of the brain. These tumors are called inoperable. Also,before surgery you should talk with a trustworthy health adviser about the possible side effects from the specific surgery you will have.
Surgery is the only treatment which is required for low grade brain tumor especially if all of the tumor can be removed. If after surgery there is still remaining visible tumor then radiation therapy or chemotherapy can be used to remove it. In the treatment process for higher grade of brain tumor the surgery is followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy as per the condition of the patient.
However, the improved techniques and equipments with the researches made in last 20 years has helped to increase the lifespan and quality of life for the patients with brain tumor.
Radiation therapy
This therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy tumor cells. Doctors use this therapy to slow down or stop the growth of tumor. It is given after surgery and possibly along with chemotherapy. Radiation oncologist is a doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat a tumor. External-beam radiation therapy is the most common type of radiation therapy, in this therapy the radiation is given from a machine outside the body.internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy is the therapy in which implants are used to give the treatment.External-beam radiation therapy can be directed at the tumor in the following ways:
- Conventional radiation therapy.
- 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT).
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).Proton therapy.
- Stereotactic radiosurgery.
- Fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy.
By using these different techniques, doctors are trying to be more precise and reduce radiation exposure to the surrounding healthy brain tissue. According to the size ,location and grade of the tumor,the radiation oncologist may choose any of the above radiation techniques. In some situations, a combination of multiple techniques may be used to get the best treatment outcome.
Chemotherapy
In this therapy drugs are used to destroy the tumor cells which ends the tumor cell’s ability to grow and divide.a doctor who specializes in treating tumors with medication is known as oncologist.Ways in which chemotherapy is given includes a pill or capsule that is taken (orally) or by intravenous (IV) injection placed into a vein using a needle. A chemotherapy schedule consists of a specific number of cycles given over a set period of time.
Medical Tests For Detecting Brain Tumour
- to see detailed images of the brain CT(CAT) scan or MRI is done
- Angiogram or MRA, which involve the use of dye and X-rays of blood vessels in the brain to look for signs of a tumour or abnormal blood vessels
- Skull x-ray
- Biopsy is advised to check or not its cancerous
Surgery and its Cost in India| Vaidam health
You can connect with the trusted healthcare partner Vaidam health for your brain tumor surgery and its cost, it is ISO certified platform which provides you complete guidance to get your treatment in India . You can send your enquiry on vaidam’s portal or give a call to get in touch with expert medical adviser, once you submit all your medical details our expert team will directly take you on conference call with the selected doctor to ensure speedy treatment procedure.