A brain tumour diagnosis is frightening — but many brain tumours are benign, and many malignant tumours are treatable with a combination of surgery, radiation and medical therapy. The first step is an accurate diagnosis and an honest conversation about what the scan actually means. Dr. Arun Reddy M, DNB Neurosurgeon with fellowship training in Japan, evaluates and treats brain tumours at CARE Hospitals, Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
Types of brain tumours
Brain tumours range from benign, slow-growing lesions such as meningiomas and pituitary adenomas to gliomas of varying grades and metastases from cancers elsewhere in the body; related tumours can also arise in or spread to the spine. Each type behaves differently — which is why treatment is never one-size-fits-all and is planned around the tumour's type, location and the patient's condition.
Symptoms that warrant evaluation
Persistent or progressively worsening headaches (especially early-morning headaches with vomiting), new-onset seizures in an adult, progressive weakness of a limb, visual disturbances, personality or memory changes, and imbalance can all be presenting features. Most headaches are not tumours — but persistent or changing symptoms deserve a scan.
How brain tumour surgery is performed
Surgery is performed under the operating microscope using microsurgical techniques, with planning based on MRI. The goal is maximal safe removal — taking out as much tumour as possible while protecting the surrounding brain. Depending on the tumour, surgery may be followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy, planned with a multidisciplinary team.
Does every brain tumour need surgery?
No. Some small, benign and symptom-free tumours are simply monitored with periodic scans. Some tumours are better treated with focused radiation. Others need surgery for diagnosis, to relieve pressure, or for removal. The right plan balances the tumour's behaviour against the risks of intervention — and is explained to you transparently.