We treat benign or malignant tumors that may occur in the brain or the spinal region of the body. Spinal tumors are either primary, which originate from spinal structures, or secondary, which originate from other body parts.
Symptoms
There are many symptoms which include:
- Personality and behavior changes
- Memory loss
- Decreased vision
- Hearing loss
- Emotional instability
- Poor coordination
- Impaired judgment
- Slurred speech
- Face weakness
- Standing or walking difficulty
There are some pains that increase irrespective of applied treatment. Such pain is often associated with some other symptoms like fatigue or weight loss. Neck pain extends from the shoulder, towards the shoulder blades, and may even extend to the back of the head. Radicular symptoms with pain may also exist which include numbness or weakness even to the arms or legs. Incontinence of bowel or bladder may also occur.
On This Condition
Benign vs. Malignant
Benign tumors are noncancerous tumors which grow slowly and are unable to spread to neighboring tissue. On the other hand, malignant tumors are aggressive, fast growing and cancerous tumors. They can invade close by tissue. Also, they are likely to come up even after treatment.
Primary vs. Secondary
Primary brain tumors develop right from the brain while secondary brain tumors consist cells that have invaded the brain from a different location in the body. Brain tumors are usually primary in children while it is secondary in adults. In the case of Spine tumors, it is called a primary tumor if it develops from the spine while it is referred to as a secondary tumor if it develops from another part of the body and then moves to the spine.
Intramedullary Tumors
These are tumors that grow and emerge from within the spinal cord or from within the individual nerves. Examples include:
- Astrocytoma
- Hemangioblastoma
- Ependymoma
Intradural Extramedullary Tumors
These tumors grow from within the spinal canal but not in the spinal cord and nerves. Examples include:
- Meningioma
- Schwannoma
Epidural Tumors
These are tumors that develop within the bones of the spinal column.
Treatment
Conservative Treatments
Drugs for Tumors
Steroid medications may be part of the initial treatment of a brain tumor to bring down the swelling as well as the inflammation of brain tissue. Also, you may avoid or control seizures with the help of Anticonvulsant medications.
Radiation for Tumors
Using high-energy radiation, tumor cells in the brain can be destroyed. Stereotactic radiosurgery is an advanced radiation which focuses radiation beams on a tumor. Applying the techniques of brain imaging, radiation beams which fit the shape and size of the tumor can be directed into the brain by performing Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapeutic drugs ingested via the mouth or intravenously have the ability to kill cancerous tumor cells. A lot of research is being carried out to develop new methods and drugs to treat tumors in the brain and spine.
Surgery
Tumor Biopsy
This is the best surgery type to determine whether or not a spinal tumor is cancerous. A little piece of tissue is extracted from the tumor, either by a needle or via surgery. After proper examination of the tissue, cancer cells may be discovered, or in some cases, they may not be present in the tissue.
Tumor Resection
A primary spinal tumor indicates that it emerges from cells within or close to the spine. It may include the nerve roots, spinal cord, the vertebrae and the pelvis. Surgical intervention may be required irrespective of whether it is malignant or benign. The major aim of this surgery is to bring down the magnitude of pain brought about by the spinal tumor. It is also to restore or preserve neurologic function as well as to offer spinal stability. The spinal tumor may be treated via surgery from the front or the back of the body.
METRx Tumor Removal
Surgery may be needed before or after treatments like chemotherapy or radiation for both benign and malignant spinal tumors. Through this, a large portion of the tumor is extracted without causing neurological complications. A small invasive tumor extraction may be done with the aid of METRx system based on the size as well as the location of the spinal tumor. It may be necessary to first perform a partial or full laminectomy to reach a tumor in the spinal column or to extract bone around the spinal cord or spinal nerves to bring down the pressure from the growing tumor. The main objective of tumor resection surgery is to bring down pain resulting from the spinal tumor. It is also to restore or preserve neurologic function and also provide a stable spine. Any tumor which is left after the surgery can be eliminated using radiation.
