Brain Tumor: What it is, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Types

Meningioma Meningioma starts developing in the protective covering of brain and spinal cord called meninges. This is one of the common brain tumors found and is benign by nature. The growth of these tumors is slow in nature and may not cause symptoms until they become large enough to press on nearby brain tissue.

Glioblastoma (GBM) This is one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer, which tends to grow fast and invade other brain tissues. The management of such brain tumors usually involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

Pituitary Tumors The pituitary tumors start growing in the pituitary glands, which is present at the base of the brain. Such tumors are non-cancerous in nature. However, these can lead to disturbances in the hormones, causing symptoms like vision problem, headaches, changes in weight, or other hormone imbalances.

Astrocytoma Astrocytomas begin in the star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes, which support nerve cells. There are many types of these tumors, and they may be low or high grade depending on their aggressiveness and growth rate.

Medulloblastoma This is a very aggressive and fast-growing type of brain cancer that arises from the cerebellum, a section of the brain involved in coordination and balance. Medulloblastomas are more common among children than adults and are usually treated with surgery followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Oligodendroglioma Oligodendroglioma is a relatively uncommon brain tumor that develops from oligodendrocytes, the cells that form the protective covering around nerve fibres. This type of brain cancer usually progresses slowly, and patients can receive favourable treatment outcomes if detected at an early stage.

Grade 1: Slow-Growing Tumour Grade 1 tumour cells look and grow most like healthy brain cells, making them the least aggressive on the WHO scale. These tumours usually grow slowly and are less likely to resurface after full local treatment than higher-grade tumours. At times, they can cause serious symptoms and may need treatment if they affect an important brain area.

Grade 2: Infiltrating Lower-Grade Tumour Grade 2 tumours usually grow into nearby brain tissue but show low cell division activity. These may cause seizures long before they are officially diagnosed.

Grade 3: Higher-Grade Malignant Tumour Grade 3 tumour cells appear to be more abnormal and grow faster than lower-grade tumours. If you are diagnosed with a grade 3 tumour, you might need combined specialist treatment and close monitoring.

Grade 4: Fastest-Growing, Highly Aggressive Tumour Grade 4 brain tumours grow very fast and are extremely aggressive. Glioblastoma (IDH-wildtype) is a well-known example of a grade 4 adult-type diffuse glioma. 

Daily Challenges Brain tumours and their treatment can affect your thinking, movement, vision, feeling, and control of bowel or bladder. Problems may include trouble walking safely, using one side of your body, talking, remembering things, focusing, or handling your daily tasks at home.

Mobility and Safety Issues like seizures, weakness, balance problems, vision changes, and thinking difficulties cause safety worries for your daily activities like walking, bathing, using stairs, cooking, and travelling. Brainstem tumours can also affect your eye movement and basic body functions, so close brain monitoring and safe movement support are important.

Monitoring and Follow-up After or during treatment, you must follow up with your specialist for check-ups, brain function tests, and scans. Ongoing care may also include therapy for problems with movement, thinking, speech, or fatigue, as well as medicines for seizures or brain swelling.

Financial Considerations Brain tumour care includes multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, scans, and accompanying care, causing ongoing costs instead of a one-time payment. Financial stress is especially high for aggressive glioma, where treatment can include surgery, radiotherapy with chemotherapy, extra chemotherapy, follow-up scans, and care for seizures or brain problems.

Mental Health While getting the brain tumour treatment, you may feel anxiety, depression, tiredness, sleep problems, and distress, which are linked to brain-related symptoms after surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. 

Caregiver Support Caregivers often play an important role by helping you during and after the brain tumour treatment. They can help you with meals, medications, transportation, and moral support, all of which are required for better recovery.

Exposure to Ionising Radiation Exposure to strong ionising radiation, including previous radiation therapy, may increase the risk of brain tumors. However, radiation exposure from medical imaging like X-rays and CT scans carries a very low risk and is used only when medically necessary.

Physical and Neurological Examination During a physical and neurological examination, the doctor checks how well your brain and nervous system are working. This includes assessing your balance, coordination, vision, hearing, reflexes, memory, and mental function. Any changes in these abilities may help identify the part of the brain that could be affected.

CT Scan Doctors may use a CT scan to look for abnormalities in and around the brain. It is often performed early in the diagnostic process because it provides quick results. If a possible brain tumor is detected, additional imaging tests like an MRI may be required.

MRI An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is recommended to detect brain tumors and determine their size and location.

PET Scan A PET scan may sometimes be used to assess a brain tumor more closely. It works by using a special tracer that helps tumor cells appear more clearly on scans. This test is often more useful for fast-growing tumors and may not be needed in every case.

Biopsy A biopsy is done by removing tissue from the tumor to determine the tumor type and whether it is cancerous.

Spinal Tap (Lumbar Puncture) In certain cases, cerebrospinal fluid may be tested to check whether the tumor has spread to surrounding brain tissues.

Specialised Testing Doctors may also perform tests for tumor markers or genetic abnormalities associated with certain tumor types.

Surgery Surgeries are usually the first line of treatment when dealing with a brain tumor. The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible without affecting the healthy parts of the brain that control important functions.

Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy may be recommended to target tumor cells that cannot be removed through surgery. It can also help reduce the chances of the tumor growing or returning after treatment.

Radiosurgery Contrary to what the term suggests, radiosurgery is not surgery. Instead, it involves delivering radiation in a highly concentrated manner, aiming precisely at the tumor with the minimum harm to surrounding healthy tissues.

Chemotherapy Chemotherapy makes use of medicines to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth. It may be recommended for certain types of brain tumors, either on its own or along with surgery and radiation therapy. The type of medicine used depends on the tumor and how it behaves.

Immunotherapy Immunotherapy is a kind of cancer treatment that helps the body's immune system identify and attack cancer cells more effectively. However, immunotherapy is not applicable to all types of brain tumors, but it could be recommended for some cancerous types, depending on specific factors.

Targeted Therapy Targeted therapy works by attacking specific features of tumor cells that help them grow and spread. Since it is designed to act more precisely, it may have fewer side effects than some other cancer treatments. Doctors may use it along with surgery, radiation therapy, or other treatments.

Active Surveillance Some brain tumors grow very slowly and may not cause any symptoms for years. In such cases, doctors may decide to keep a close watch on the tumor through regular scans and follow-up appointments before considering treatment.

Supportive Care Medicines may be used to relieve swelling and pressure in the brain, while supportive and palliative care focus on easing symptoms and boosting comfort.