Types of Brain Tumor Cancer and Treatment for Brain Tumor Cancer in India

Cancers of the brain are the consequence of abnormal growths of cells in the brain when normal cells in the brain change and grows uncontrollably, forming a mass. A brain tumor can be low grade (generally not cancerous and slower growing) or high grade (more likely to grow and spread quickly). In general, primary brain tumors, meaning those that start in the brain, do not spread outside.


Secondary brain tumors (also called brain metastases) are much more common than primary tumors. A secondary brain tumor is a cancerous tumor that started in another part of the body and then spread to the brain.

Types of Brain Tumor Cancer

 
Brain tumors are classified by the types of cells within the tumor. Each type of brain tumor grows and is treated in a different way.
 
The main types of brain tumors are as follows
Adenoma (Pituitary Gland)
Chordoma (Skull and Spine)
Craniopharyngioma (Pituitary gland)
Germ cell tumors, including Germinomas (Near the Pineal Gland)
Gliomas: This is the main group of brain tumors, occurring in 65% of cases. It includes:

Glioblastoma Multiforme (Glial Cells and Oligodendrocytes). This is the type of brain cancer found most often in adults.
Astrocytoma (Glial Cells of tissue that Supports Nerve Cells)
Oligodendroglioma (Oligodendrocytes in the Myelin Sheath Around Nerve Fibers in the Brain)
Ependymoma (the Ventricles in Tissue Lining the Spaces Within the Brain)
Hemangioblastoma (Cells that Develop into Blood Vessels)
Medulloblastoma (Cerebellum)
Meningioma (Meninges, The Layers of Tissue Covering the Brain)
Osteoma and Osteosarcoma (Bones of the Skull)
Pinealoma (Pineal Gland)
Pituitary Adenoma (Pituitary Gland)
Sarcoma (Connective Tissue)
Treatment for brain tumours Treatment aims to remove the tumour or at least slow its growth and relieve the symptoms. Some of the treatment options include:
Surgery – some tumours can be completely removed. In other cases, a tumour may have spread throughout the brain and may be very close to important structures in the brain. In this case, only pieces of it can be removed.
Radiotherapy – uses x-rays to kill cancer cells. In children, low doses are used because the x-rays can slow a child’s development and growth. Treatment is carefully planned to do as little harm as possible to normal body tissues.
 
Chemotherapy – uses anti-cancer drugs to stop the cancer cells from multiplying. Chemotherapy is rarely used for adults, but often used for children because of the possible side effects of radiotherapy.
Steroid therapy – uses medication to reduce the swelling around the tumour. These do not treat the tumour itself, but they do help to relieve the swelling and pressure caused by the tumour.
 
Complementary and alternative therapies – when used alongside your conventional cancer treatment, some of these therapies can make you feel better and improve quality of life. Others may not be so helpful and in some cases, may be harmful. The Cancer Council Victoria booklet called Understanding complementary therapies can be a useful resource.
 
All treatments have side effects. These will vary depending on the type of treatment you are having. Many side
effects are temporary, but some may be permanent. Your doctor will explain all the possible side effects before
your treatment begins.

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