When
most normal cells grow old or get
damaged, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes, this process goes
wrong. New cells form when the body doesn't need them, and old or damaged cells
don't die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue
called a growth or tumor.
Primary
brain tumors can be benign or malignant:
Benign brain
tumors do not contain cancer cells:
- Usually, benign
tumors can be removed, and they seldom grow back.
- Benign brain
tumors usually have an obvious border or edge. Cells from benign tumors rarely
invade tissues around them. They don't spread to other parts of the body.
However, benign tumors can press on sensitive areas of the brain and cause
serious health problems.
- Unlike benign
tumors in most other parts of the body, benign brain tumors are sometimes life
threatening.
- Benign brain
tumors may become malignant.
Malignant brain
tumors (also called brain cancer) contain cancer cells:
- Malignant brain
tumors are generally more serious and often are a threat to life.
- They are likely
to grow rapidly and crowd or invade the nearby healthy brain tissue.
- Cancer cells may
break away from malignant brain tumors and spread to other parts of the brain
or to the spinal cord.
- They rarely
spread to other parts of the body.
Tumor Grade
Doctors
group brain tumors by grade. The grade of a
tumor refers to the way the cells look under a microscope:
- Grade I:
The tissue is benign. The cells look nearly like normal brain cells, and they
grow slowly.
- Grade II:
The tissue is malignant. The cells look less like normal cells than do the
cells in a Grade I tumor.
- Grade III:
The malignant tissue has cells that look very different from normal cells. The
abnormal cells are actively growing (anaplastic).
- Grade IV:
The malignant tissue has cells that look most abnormal and tend to grow
quickly.
Cells from low-grade
tumors (grades I and II) look more normal and generally grow more slowly than
cells from high-grade tumors (grades III and IV).
Over time, a
low-grade tumor may become a highgrade tumor. However, the change to a
high-grade tumor happens more often among adults than children.
There
are many types of primary brain tumors. Primary brain tumors are named
according to the type of cells or the part of the brain in which they begin.
For example, most primary brain tumors begin in glial cells. This type of tumor
is called aglioma.
Among adults, the
most common types are:
Astrocytoma: The tumor
arises from star-shaped glial cells called astrocytes. It can be any
grade. In adults, an astrocytoma most often arises in the cerebrum.
- Grade I or II astrocytoma: It may be called a low-grade glioma.
- Grade III astrocytoma: It's sometimes called a high-grade or
an anaplastic astrocytoma.
- Grade IV astrocytoma: It may be called a glioblastoma or
malignant astrocytic glioma.
Meningioma: The tumor
arises in the meninges. It can be grade I, II, or III. It's usually benign
(grade I) and grows slowly.
Oligodendroglioma: The
tumor arises from cells that make the fatty substance that covers and protects
nerves. It usually occurs in the cerebrum. It's most common in middle-aged
adults. It can be grade II or III.
Among children,
the most common types are:
Medulloblastoma: The
tumor usually arises in the cerebellum. It's sometimes called a primitive neuroectodermal tumor. It is grade IV.
Grade I or II astrocytoma: In children, this lowgrade tumor
occurs anywhere in the brain. The most common astrocytoma among children is juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma.
It's grade I.
Ependymoma: The tumor
arises from cells that line the ventricles or the central canal of the spinal
cord. It's most commonly found in children and young adults. It can be grade I,
II, or III.
Brain stem glioma: The
tumor occurs in the lowest part of the brain. It can be a low-grade or
high-grade tumor. The most common type is diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.
Latest and Advanced Treatment options for Brain Tumor in India
Brain Tumor is no more a scary health condition as modern technology and advanced surgical modalities now offer near perfect clinical outcomes and the patients can soon return to normal life after surgery.
- Brain Suite - Intra-operative MR Navigation Microsurgery
- Trans-Nasal Endoscopic Removal of brain Tumor through the nose
- Stereotactic Radiosurgery - Gamma Knife & Novalis TX
- Tumor Embolization using Neuro Interventional Radiology
- CyberKnife Radiosurgery
Please
scan and email your medical reports to us at care@medworldindia.com and we
shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.
Call Us : +91-9811058159
Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com
No comments:
Post a Comment