Brain tumor treatment procedure and success rate in India

A brain tumor is a collection or group of abnormal cells in the body. Tumors have the tendency
to destroy healthy brain cells either directly or indirectly.

Tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). A malignant tumor grows
rapidly, invading the healthy regions of the brain whereas benign tumor, generally has slow
growth. But there is no need to worry, as neurologist in mumbai will provide the best
treatment for those patients who are suffering from this problem.

Brain tumors are classified into two groups- Primary and metastatic. A primary tumor
commences inside the brain and can be both benign and malignant.

A metastatic tumor develops when the cancer cells situated somewhere else in the body break
up and enter inside the brain. Hence, this tumor is usually malignant.

 Treatment options for brain tumors

Various factors are influencing the treatment of brain tumors such as- type, location and size of
the tumor as well as the health and age of the patients.

Depending on the patient’s requirements, brain tumors can be treated through different
methods like radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy.

1) Radiation Therapy –
In radiotherapy, high-powered rays are utilized to destroy the cancer cells and prevent their
growth. This therapy is generally used to destroy the tumor which cannot be eliminated by
surgery or to remove the cancer cells that may persist post-surgery.
Radiation therapy is generally given in two ways: -

⮚ External radiation-
These treatments are provided 5 days a week, using a large machine. The schedule of this
treatment is prepared by keeping in mind the size, the kind of tumor and the age of the patient.
Healthy tissues in the region of the tumor are guarded by giving the entire dose of radiation
over a long period of time.
While conducting the procedure, the external radiation may be focused on the tumor, the
neighboring cells, the spinal cord or the whole brain.
When the entire brain is being treated, the patient frequently gets an additional dose of
radiation in the region of the tumor. These radiations may be generated through radioactive
material positioned straight away in the tumor or by implant radiation treatment.

The implants are placed permanently or for a small duration inside the brain so that they lose a
little amount of radioactivity every day.
⮚ Gamma knife-
A gamma knife is another radiation treatment method in which, a single, carefully directed,
high dose of radiation is provided to the tumor from various angles, without harming other
brain cells.

2) Surgery –
Surgery is the most common way of treating tumors. A neurosurgeon performs a craniotomy,
where he/she creates an opening in the skull to remove the brain tumor.
The goal is to remove the entire tumor or as much of the tumor as possible without causing any
damage to the healthy areas of the brain.
In cases where the tumor cannot be removed, the doctor initially performs the only biopsy and
a small piece of the tumor is examined by pathologists under a microscope to determine the
composition of its cells.

Sometimes, the doctors also use the CT scan or MRI to detect the location of the tumor.

3) Chemotherapy –

Chemotherapy involves the utilization of drugs or a combination of drugs to destroy cancer
cells. These drugs might be given orally or injected into the patient’s blood vessels.
The Success rates
India has excellent treatment services related to brain surgery. There is a well-developed
network of best hospitals and doctors with plentiful experience in the field of neurology,
especially ‘neurosurgeon in mumbai’ who are highly qualified and provide the best
treatment and post-operative care to their patients.
Also, India provides affordable medical tourism packages for brain tumor treatment.
At present, around 1,200 neurologists are working in India, with some prominent neurology hospital in mumbai that offer the highest standards of quality healthcare to patients with a
dedicated staff, sufficient equipment, and advanced infrastructure.