Symptoms like headache, vomiting and seizures should not be ignored as they can be signs of brain tumour, warned the experts of Max Super Speciality Hospital on the World Tumour Day on Friday.
Addressing the media, The Principal Consultant- Neurosurgery of the Hospital Dr H C Pathak said that brain tumors are devastating lesions that affect the nerve centre of the body. He added abnormal growth of tissues inside the skull leads to the formation of a 'tumor' which causes local destruction and pressure on surrounding normal tissues. Dr Pathak said, “These tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-malignant. These tumors can be effectively treated by using stereo tactically directed radiotherapy.’’
Consultant, Neurosurgery Dr Anand Thakur said that, the brain tumors account for about 2 percent of all cancers. “Around 50 new cases of brain tumors are diagnosed every day worldwide and most of them are not inheritable. Brain tumors can occur at ages and as of now no definite cause has been found for their origin. Therefore, there are no such specific preventive measures that can be taken.”
He said that some common symptoms that people experience are headaches (typically worst in early mornings), vomiting, seizures, weakness of one or the other part of the body, difficulty in seeing or hearing or understanding.
The treatment of brain tumors consists of removal of the tumor for reducing pressure on normal structures as early as possible, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy for malignant lesions.
The Consultant, Pediatric Neurosurgery of the hospital, Dr Rahul Awasthi said that management of pediatric brain tumors is a major challenge for the neurosurgeons. “Major surgical risk in neonates include their relatively underdeveloped multi organ function resulting in poor respiratory and cardiac reserves, immature liver and kidney functions and inability to handle large blood and fluid electrolyte loses and hypothermia and low immunity levels.’’
The Vice President, Operations and Unit Head, Max Hospital, Dr Sandeep Singh Tanwar was also present on the occasion.