Diseases And Conditions

Brain tumors

Brain tumors are a variety of disorders characterized by the uncontrolled growth of a mass either on the surface of or in the brain. Brain tumors can be classified according to the type of tissue they originate from. The prognosis, treatment available and clinical course will depend on the type of tumor present.
A meningioma is a type of tumor that arises from the lining of the brain, the meninges. As these tumors grow, they may compress the brain. In addition to the effects of directly pushing on brain, meningiomas can also cause a disproportionate amount of brain swelling. Most meningiomas are benign, meaning that they can potentially be cured or controlled. Rarely a meningioma is malignant. A malignant meningioma will have a high rate of recurrence and may even spread to remote areas.

If a meningioma is small and does not compress the brain or cause swelling, no therapy is needed. In larger tumors treatment usually consists of surgical removal. However, since meningiomas are very vascular, surgery can be assisted by preoperative tumor embolization. Tumor embolization will dry up the tumor blood supply facilitating an easier and less risky surgery. In cases where surgery cannot be performed due to a critical location, radiation with stereotactic radiosurgery can be performed.

Metastases are tumors that spread to the brain from a cancer elsewhere in the body. More than one metastasis may be present in the brain. Metastatic tumors of the brain may come from bone, breast, lung, colon or other forms of cancer. Metastatic tumors may be treated with radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. In some cases the blood supply will be rich enough to allow pre-operative tumor embolization.

Glial tumors are tumors that arise from glial cells, which are components of actual brain tissue. There are various subtypes of glial tumors and they are seen at differing stages in life. There are various classifications of glioma, according to the World Health Organization. The most serious tumor subtype is a glioblastoma multiforma (GBM). The aim of chemotherapy and surgery in GBM is to prolong survival while maintaining quality of life. There are investigational chemotherapy treatment protocols for the treatment of GBM. A cure has remained elusive.