The neurosurgeon explains what this type of cancer is and reveals that it is possible to lead a normal life after discovery
Depending on the case, a brain tumor is treatable. According to the National Cancer Institute (INCA), an estimated 11,000 new cases of brain or central nervous system cancer were diagnosed between 2020 and 2022. For Dr. Marcelo Valadares, neurosurgeon at the Discipline of Neurosurgery at the Unicamp Faculty of Medical Sciences and at the Albert Einstein Hospital, it is important to be aware of the symptoms.
The masses, which may or may not be cancerous, are characterized by the presence and growth of abnormal cells in the brain or meninges (membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord).
It is possible to lead a healthy life after a brain tumor
But, according to the specialist, the good news is that most intracranial tumors are benign. That is, there is a cure for them. The most common of these is called meningioma, which can be cured after surgery and, in some cases, does not require surgery.
“Tumors that arise within the brain itself may still be benign, treatable with surgery, or low in aggression, with the goal of a long, quality patient life,” explains the doctor.
Meningioma is the most common type of brain tumor, accounting for about 30% of incidences. They are benign and more common in adults and the elderly, affecting more women than men.
What are the symptoms
“Since the brain is practically divided into areas responsible for specific functions, tumors that develop in these regions impair these activities, meaning tumors that develop near the areas responsible for limb movements can cause weakness and even paralysis. In the areas responsible. as vision can cause vision loss, spots or blurring, “explains Dr. Valadari.
“Although benign and malignant tumors can cause similar symptoms, malignant tumors are more likely to develop rapidly and cause an increased frequency of headaches, seizures and neurological changes such as coma.
“This is less common in benign tumors.” However, some symptoms can arise regardless of the location of the lesion. “In almost any area of the brain, tumors can cause seizures, although this is more common in the frontal and temporal lobes. When they are large, they can cause headaches.
Also, some tumors can bleed and lead to sudden neurological worsening, “adds the neurosurgeon.
Differences between benign and malignant tumors
A benign brain tumor is not cancer, that is, it is unable to invade normal brain tissues and destroy them. Furthermore, it is also possible to treat the condition with surgery.
“However, even a benign tumor can grow into a complex location that prevents its removal or compresses tissues and vessels, which can lead to serious problems,” explains Dr. Marcelo Valadares. A malignant tumor, on the other hand, has mutations in its cells that are able to invade the brain tissues, destroying them.
In this case the cells grow in a disordered, accelerated and increasingly aggressive way. The main malignant tumors in the brain are gliomas, which grow from different cell types called, collectively, glia.
“These are cells that support neurons as well as perform several other functions in the brain. Glia tumors (or gliomas) are the most common intrinsic tumors (which arise from the brain itself, not from other parts around it). Also, it can being a glioblastoma, a highly aggressive subtype of glioma, that is, a very serious cancer, “he exemplifies.
The doctor also states that many malignant brain tumors are controllable with the available treatment and, in some cases, the possibility of a cure exists. Treatments for gliomas, Dr. Marcelo Valadares guarantees that the treatment can be surgery to remove part or all of the identifiable tumor.
“Usually the patient needs to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy after surgery. Several other treatments for malignant brain tumors are being studied,” he says. In the case of meningiomas, the main treatment is surgery. Some types, even benign ones, may need radiation therapy.
Source: Terra
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