Myths related to brain tumors
The first question that comes to most people’s mind when they hear the name brain tumor is, will they have to undergo surgery now? However, experts say that surgery is not necessary to treat every brain tumor. The treatment plan is made keeping in mind many factors like type, size, location of the tumor, age of the patient and severity of symptoms. According to the doctor, in today’s modern medical science, there are many options for the treatment of brain tumor which, apart from surgery, include radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery and chemotherapy and targeted therapy and active surveillance.
There is a myth in the minds of people that if there is a tumor in the brain then the only treatment for it is operation. World Brain Tumor Day is celebrated every year on 8 June. Its objective is to make people aware of this serious health problem.
What do experts say
Neuro surgeon Dr Praveen Gupta It is said that this is a big misconception. People think that once a brain tumor is found in someone’s body, he has to undergo surgery. Actually, the path of treatment is different for every patient. “Some small and slowly growing tumors may remain stable for years without causing any serious problems, and for those patients, regular MRI examinations and monitoring may be sufficient.”
Experts say that for many benign (non-cancerous) tumors, especially if they are located away from sensitive parts of the brain and are not causing any symptoms, doctors do not recommend immediate operation. Instead, tumor growth is monitored by scanning from time to time.
These symptoms are visible
Doctors say that symptoms like continuous growth of the tumor, headache, seizures, vision problems, weakness in any part of the body or difficulty in speaking are seen. According to him, surgery may be necessary if such symptoms appear. According to Dr., “Our aim is not just to remove the tumor, but we also try to preserve the patient’s neurological function and quality of life. Therefore, many times we choose radiotherapy or other treatment options instead of surgery, especially when the tumor is in a place where operation would pose a greater risk.”
Technological developments over the past few years have helped make brain tumor treatment safer and more effective. Modern technologies such as high-resolution MRI, neuro-navigation, functional brain mapping and awake craniotomy have made even complex surgeries safer and more efficient than ever. “According to experts, in some cases the aim of surgery is not to remove the tumor completely, but to remove a small part of it and do a biopsy. This can accurately identify the type of tumor and based on that, a suitable plan for further treatment can be made.
Misconceptions present on social media
Doctors believe that one should not take decisions regarding one’s physical and medical needs based on incomplete information found on the internet and social-networking sites. Brain tumor is a complex disease and every patient’s condition is different, hence their treatment decisions should be taken only after examination by a team of neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists and radiation oncologists. According to Dr., “It is not the end of life with the diagnosis of brain tumor today.
Many patients remain healthy for a long time without surgery and for those patients who require surgery, the hope of success with new techniques has increased significantly. The most important thing is timely investigation and advice from the right specialist.”
Even today, fear and anxiety arise in people on hearing the name of brain tumor, but believe me, surgery is not necessary for all tumors. In fact, a lot is done for awareness but believe me, with proper diagnosis at the required time and advice of the medical team, many people make their lives successful even without surgery.
