Brain Tumour Specialists in Maharashtra
A brain tumour is an abnormal mass of cells growing within the brain or its surrounding structures, which can be benign, such as meningioma, or malignant, such …
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What is Brain Tumour?
A brain tumour is an abnormal mass of cells growing within the brain or its surrounding structures, which can be benign, such as meningioma, or malignant, such as glioblastoma. Primary brain tumours originate directly from brain tissue, while secondary or metastatic tumours spread to the brain from cancers elsewhere in the body such as the lung or breast. Because the skull is a fixed space, even benign tumours can cause serious symptoms simply by increasing pressure within the brain or displacing surrounding structures. Symptoms depend heavily on the tumour's size and specific location within the brain.
Severe
Rare — primary brain tumours affect roughly 6 in 100,000 people annually, though metastatic brain tumours are more common in cancer patients
No
Causes of Brain Tumour
The exact cause of most primary brain tumours is unknown, but risk factors include prior exposure to ionizing radiation, certain inherited genetic syndromes such as neurofibromatosis, and a family history of brain tumours. Metastatic brain tumours result from cancer cells spreading through the bloodstream from a primary cancer elsewhere, most commonly lung, breast, or melanoma. Genetic mutations that drive uncontrolled cell division underlie the tumour's growth.
Symptoms of Brain Tumour
Persistent or worsening headaches, especially in the morning, seizures, nausea and vomiting, progressive weakness or numbness on one side of the body, vision or speech changes, personality or cognitive changes, difficulty with balance and coordination, drowsiness or confusion
Treatment & Types of Brain Tumour in Maharashtra
Treatment depends on tumour type, size, and location, and may involve surgical removal to relieve pressure and obtain tissue for diagnosis, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy for malignant tumours. Targeted therapies and, in select cases, newer approaches like tumour-treating fields are used for specific tumour types. Supportive care including anti-seizure medications and corticosteroids to reduce brain swelling is often needed alongside definitive treatment.
Brain tumours are classified as benign (such as meningioma, which doesn't spread but can still cause serious symptoms by pressing on brain structures) or malignant (such as glioblastoma, which grows aggressively and can spread within the brain), and further divided into primary tumours originating in the brain itself versus secondary (metastatic) tumours that have spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, most often the lung or breast.
Neurosurgery Specialists in Maharashtra (0)
No specialists listed yet in Maharashtra — browse all doctors instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all brain tumours cancerous?
No, many brain tumours, like most meningiomas, are benign, though even benign tumours can cause serious symptoms simply due to pressure within the fixed space of the skull.
What symptoms should prompt urgent evaluation?
New, worsening headaches especially in the morning, seizures, or new weakness, vision, or speech changes warrant prompt neurological evaluation.
Is a metastatic brain tumour the same as brain cancer?
It's technically a spread of cancer from elsewhere in the body to the brain, rather than a cancer that originated in brain tissue itself, though it's still treated seriously and often urgently.
Can brain tumours be removed completely?
Many benign and some malignant tumours can be surgically removed, though location and tumour type determine how much can be safely taken out.
Does having a brain tumour always mean losing normal function?
Not necessarily — many people recover well after treatment, especially with tumours that are accessible for surgery and don't involve critical brain regions.