Did you know your race or ethnicity could increase your chances of getting a brain tumor? Black people have a slightly higher percentage compared to other races like White, APIA, and AIAN. In addition, all primary brain tumors are higher for women than men. (Source: NBTS)
What Is A Brain Tumor?
A brain tumor is a tissue mass consisting of abnormal cells growing in the brain or nearby places. Brain tumors can occur in brain tissue or near brain tissues like nerves, pituitary glands, pineal glands, and membranes covering the brain’s surface. Any growth in your skull can cause multiple problems.
Brain tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). Both can cause brain damage if not diagnosed and treated on time.
Types Of Brain Tumor:
- Gliomas are growths of cells in glial cells that surround and support nerve cells in the brain tissue. Gliomas can be benign or malignant. Glioblastoma is the most prevalent kind of malignant brain tumor.
- Choroid plexus tumors grow near the cells and produce cerebrospinal fluid that covers the brain and spinal cord. Choroid plexus tumors can be benign or malignant, and it’s more common in children.
- Embryonal cells stay in the brain after birth, and embryonal tumors grow. These tumors are malignant and happen in babies and young children. The most common type of embryonal tumor is medulloblastoma, located in the lower back part of the brain, cerebellum.
- Germ cell tumors, originating from reproductive cells, occur in the ovaries, testicles, or the brain, often near the pineal or pituitary gland, and are benign and more common in children.
- Pineal tumors, originating from the brain’s pineal gland, can be benign or malignant, with pineoblastoma being the most common malignant type in children.
- Meningiomas are benign brain tumors originating from brain and spinal cord membranes, the most common type of benign brain tumor.
- Acoustic neuroma, also known as Schwannoma, is a common benign tumor in the head that affects the nerves connecting the inner ear to the brain.
- Brain tumors, including Craniopharyngioma, typically occur in and around the pituitary gland, a small gland located near the base of the brain.
Symptoms Of Brain Tumor
The signs and symptoms of the brain tumor depend on the size, location, and stages of the brain tumor. Some signs and symptoms are:
- Headaches and pressure in the head
- Severe headaches most often
- Nausea and vomiting
- Eye problems such as blurry eyes
- Trouble with balance
- Speech problems
- Feeling tired
- Confusion
- Memory problem
Causes Of Brain Tumor
Brain tumors happen when there is a change in the molecular composition of your DNA. What triggers the change is unknown.
But, an adult with a brain tumor is called a secondary brain tumor because it happens due to other cancers. Some of them are:
- Breast cancer
- Colon cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Lung cancer
- Melanoma
Brain tumor surgery cost in India, being one of the lowest around the world, gives you the opportunity to get your treatment on a priority basis.
What Are The Risk Factors Of Brain Tumor?
Certain risk factors can cause brain tumors, such as:
- Age: Brain tumor doesn’t depend on age. It impacts adults and, most often, children.
- Race & Ethnicity: Anyone can have a brain tumor, but certain types of brain tumors are more common in people of particular races. For example, meningiomas are common in black people, and gliomas are more common in white people.
- Hazardous Radiation: Ionizing radiation, such as radiation therapy and industrial radiation, increases the risk of brain tumors due to their ability to induce DNA changes. Low-level radiation from everyday objects, like cell phones and radio waves, may not be linked to brain tumors, but further studies are needed.
- Inherited brain tumor syndromes: Genetic alterations, such as neurofibromatosis 1 and 2, tuberous sclerosis, and other conditions, increase the risk of brain tumors through hereditary means.
- Sex: Men are more likely than women to get a brain tumor in general. One form of brain tumor, meningioma, is more common in women.
- Electromagnetic Fields: Most researchers are examining the effect of electromagnetic fields, such as electricity from power lines or cell phone use, but haven’t found any elevated risk of adult brain tumor development. The World Health Organization (WHO), though, suggests restricting cell phone use and urges adults and kids to use a hands-free headset.
Diagnosis Of Brain Tumor
Not just diagnostic tests, but the brain tumor surgery cost in India is highly competitive as well. Early diagnosis can help you opt for less-invasive procedures to treat the brain tumor.
1. Neurological exam:
Neurological exams do not detect a brain tumor but test different portions of your brain to check your vision, hearing, coordination, balance, strength, and reflexes. This test helps doctors identify the approximate location of the brain where the problem is.
2. Head CT scan:
A CT or computed tomography scan uses X-rays to create images and can detect brain problems. It’s often the first imaging test for headaches, helping healthcare providers decide the following tests.
3. Brain MRI:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used to detect brain tumors to create pictures inside your brain to show more detailed pictures than other imaging tests.
4. PET scan
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans detect brain tumors using radioactive tracers injected into veins, highlighting cells with rapid division and multiplying, allowing the machine to capture detailed images.
5. Tissue sampling/biopsy/surgical removal of a tumor:
The biopsy sample undergoes lab testing to determine malignancy and grade of the tumor, thereby aiding in creating a treatment plan.
6. Myelogram:
Doctors may recommend a myelogram to determine if a tumor has spread to the spinal fluid, brain, or spinal cord. This test uses a dye injected into the Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF).
Brain Tumor Surgery In India
Brain tumor surgery cost in India is one of the lowest in the world. India has renowned medical professionals specialising in treating brain tumor.
1. Craniotomy:
A craniotomy is the most common surgery to remove a brain tumor. This procedure involves making an incision in the scalp and removing a piece of bone from the skull to give access to the tumor.
The neurosurgeon can tackle complex tumors in the skull with the use of planned surgical techniques.
2. MRI Guided Laser Ablation:
MRI-guided laser ablation is a less-invasive neurosurgical method for treating brain tumors, including dangerous ones like glioblastoma multiforme, with less discomfort and quicker recovery than craniotomy, offering a more effective treatment.
3. Endoscopic Brain Tumor Surgery (NeuroEndoscopy):
Neuroendoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that remove tumors through tiny openings in the skull, mouth, or nose, allowing surgeons to access brain parts that conventional surgery cannot.
Neuroendoscopy results in:
- It is less uncomfortable than conventional surgery
- Quicker recovery compared to conventional surgery
- Nominal scarring
Types of Brain Tumors Cured by Neuroendoscopy:
- Pineal regional tumors
- Pituitary tumors
- Rathke’s cleft cysts
- Skull base tumors
- Ventricular tumors
4. Tubular Retractor System For Brain Tumor Surgery:
The tubular retractor system is a new, minimally-invasive method to treat several dangerous disorders, including brain tumors. A retractor is a surgical tool that moves tissue to access specific locations, thereby reducing the risk of brain fold and fragile tissue injury.
The tubular retractor system can be beneficial when a tumor is deep inside the brain. It also provides a less invasive alternative to conventional open surgery (craniotomy).
How Tubular Retractor System Works To Treat Brain Tumor:
- The doctor makes a tiny opening in the skull and a skin incision.
- Using computer navigation, the surgeon can efficiently access the tumor by gently guiding the tubular retractor through the brain’s white matter.
- The surgeon worked through a tubular retractor to remove the tumor using a fiber optic camera for a clear view.
- After resolving the issue, the surgical team removes the instruments, removes the tubular retractor, and sews up the tiny wound.
5. Awake Brain Tumor Surgery:
Awake brain tumor surgery, or intraoperative brain mapping, stimulates specific brain areas during the procedure. This brain surgery can shrink tumors that are inoperable due to size, location, or spread throughout the brain, like some glioma.
How Awake Brain Tumor Surgery Works:
- The patient will undergo a nerve or scalp block injection and local anesthesia to block pain and numb a small part of the body on the scalp.
- The patient undergoes scalp blocking and anesthesia for sedation when the neurosurgeon is ready to remove the brain tumor and then sedated again.
- The patient will undergo nerve blocking and general anesthesia, with the neuro anesthesiologist waking them up for the removal of the brain tumor and putting them to sleep again.
Brain Tumor Surgery Cost In India
The brain tumor surgery cost in India ranges between USD 4000 – and USD 6000, depending on the type of surgical procedure and hospital chosen.
Top Brain Tumor Surgery Hospitals In India
There are many renowned hospitals in India specializing in brain tumor surgeries. GoMedii has compiled an exhaustive list of the top 10 brain tumor surgery hospitals in India for your convenience.
The hospitals are:
- Max Hospital, Gurugram
- Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi NCR
- BLK Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi
- Sarvodaya Hospital, Mumbai
- Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore
- Manipal Hospitals, New Delhi
- Yashoda Super Speciality, Hyderabad
- Marengo Asia Hospitals, Faridabad
- Max Multi Speciality, Panchsheel Park, Delhi
- Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram
For those seeking Brain Tumor Treatment In India or seeking care for Brain Tumor, we recommend reaching out to trusted health-tech platforms like GoMedii. They connect patients with expert doctors and top hospitals, offering affordable and quality treatment options. For more details, contact them via WhatsApp at +91 9311101477 or email connect@gomedii.com.
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