Brain Cancer

A cancerous tumor in the brain is the brain cancer.

These cancerous tumors do not spread instead they invade the other areas of the brain itself and the spinal cord.

Not all tumors are cancerous some are malignant and some are benign but still any of these types are not good for brain they interfere with the normal behavior of the central nervous system and the brain.

Types of Brain Cancer

There are two types of brain tumors the primary and the secondary. The secondary or metastatic brain tumors are originated in any other organ of the body and reach the brain or spread to the brain. The primary brain tumors are originated in the brain from the brain cells themselves.

Depending on the type of brain cells they are developed and their appearance they are further classified. It should be noted that the primary brain tumor cells resemble the brain cells whereas the secondary brain tumor cells resemble the cancer cells from which they are originated.

Brain Cancer Treatment

Brain cancer treatment or brain tumor treatment along with survival odds depends on several factors, including its type, location, size, and grade, and the person’s general health. Today’s available options include surgery, high-energy X-rays or the radiotherapy and the administration of cancer-fighting drugs called chemotherapy.

Before actually starting any of the above mentioned brain cancer treatment methods the basic treatment includes administration of steroid medications to reduce swelling and inflammation of brain tissue. To prevent or control seizures anticonvulsant medications may help to a certain extent.

Brain Cancer Surgery

Surgery is the brain cancer treatment method which helps remove either the entire tumor or the part of the tumor. This helps to minimize the damage to the healthy tissue. If the brain cancer has end up in building up of fluid in the brain then the doctor may surgically remove the fluid using the shunt which is placed in the brain to collect the fluid following a perfect process.

The removal of the tumor from the brain is called craniotomy, where in the surgeon makes an opening in the skull and removes as much of the tumor as possible without damaging normal brain tissue.

The brain tumor which is removed through surgery s then sent for biopsy to study the stage and grade of the tumor to further proceed with the treatment.

Radiation Therapy

In brain cancer radiation therapy, the radiation is delivered either by a machine outside the body which is the external radiation or the internal radiation therapy in which small radioactive pellets are implanted in the tumor.

The duration taken for external radiation therapy is few to several weeks. In internal radiation therapy the patients may often stay in the hospital for a few days while the radiation is strongest.

Another method of radiation therapy is treating some tumors by a single, large dose of radiation coming from many different directions. This type of brain cancer treatment is called stereotactic radiosurgery. This technique is beneficial in way as it targets the tumor more precisely sparing damage to normal tissue.

Chemotherapy

The administration of chemotherapy is either through orally or through injections which may be given intravenously like in any other cancer treatment and also sometimes may be intrathecally meaning the injected into the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord.

Different brain cancer or brain tumors respond differently to chemotherapy. Some are resistant to certain drugs, while others including astrocytomas can respond especially well.

Today with the modern technology and research the brain cancer treatment has helped many people to fight against the dreadful and life threatening disease.