Brain Tumor Cancer Types and Treatment Options
Brain cancer is a disease in which particular cells in the brain grow and form a mass that interferes with general brain function, such as muscle control, sensation, memory, and other functions that help you control your body. Tumors that are made up of cancer cells grow and spread to other parts of the brain. These are called malignant tumors. Those tumors that are not cancerous, do not spread and are basically localized. These are called benign tumors. Primary tumors are those that develop in brain cells. Secondary tumors are those that develop in other parts of the body and then spread to the brain. These are also called metastatic tumors.
brain cancer grades
There are four different classifications of brain cancers:
Grade I: Benign tumors with a slow growth rate. They look like normal brain cells.
Grade II: Malignant tumors that look less normal than grade I tumors.
Grade III: Malignant tumors that look very different from normal cells. They are actively growing and look clearly abnormal.
Grade IV: Malignant tumors with clearly abnormal-looking cells that grow and spread rapidly.
Brain Tumor Cancer Treatment
The approach to brain cancer treatment is personalized based on the individual diagnosis. Treatments depend on the type of cancer, the location in the brain, the size of the tumor, and the patient’s age and general health.
Treatment options for brain tumors are classified into surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Depending on the individual diagnosis, a combination of any of the methods mentioned above is used.
With surgery, the tumor is separated from normal tissues. This is an invasive approach to treating cancer. The other two methods are non-invasive. Radiation therapy helps destroy the tumor with high-energy radiation that is focused on the tumor to destroy cells. It destroys the tumor’s ability to replicate and spread. X-rays or gamma rays are generally used for this purpose. The radiation is highly focused and does not affect the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor.
In chemotherapy, certain drugs and medicines are used to destroy the cells that cause the tumor. There are many types of drugs used. These drugs are designed to fight different types of cancer cells. The entire procedure keeps healthy cells safe from the effects of medications.
Some tumors are declared inoperable because their surgical removal can negatively affect other parts of the brain. The surgeon takes this call. However, it is very important to understand that one surgeon can declare a tumor inoperable, but another surgeon can operate on it. It’s a good idea to get some feedback before you give up.
Other treatment options may include heat treatments and immunotherapy. For all the procedures mentioned, there are some side effects. With surgery, there could be swelling, possible damage to healthy tissue, or seizures. With chemotherapy, patients may experience nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and low energy levels. Radiation therapy is known to have side effects similar to those of chemotherapy.