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Brain Tumour

Primary brain tumours are diverse neoplasms that can be benign or malignant and do not metastasize due to the lack of lymphatic drainage. Symptoms vary based on growth rate, with high-grade tumours presenting more acutely, and management typically involves surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy tailored to the tumour type. Prognosis is influenced by age and tumour location, with certain tumours like meningiomas and pituitary adenomas having better outcomes.

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54 views8 pages

Brain Tumour

Primary brain tumours are diverse neoplasms that can be benign or malignant and do not metastasize due to the lack of lymphatic drainage. Symptoms vary based on growth rate, with high-grade tumours presenting more acutely, and management typically involves surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy tailored to the tumour type. Prognosis is influenced by age and tumour location, with certain tumours like meningiomas and pituitary adenomas having better outcomes.

Uploaded by

Ash A
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

BRAIN TUMOURS

• Primary brain tumours are heterogenous collection


of neoplasms arising from the brain tissue or
meninges and vary from benign to malignant.
• Primary brain tumours do not metastasise due to
the absence of lymphatic drainage in the brain.
• The most common benign tumour is meningioma.
Clinical features
• The presentation is variable and usually influenced by
the rate of growth.
• High grade disease tends to present with a short
history of mass effect(headache, nausea secondary to
RICP) while more indolent tumours can present with
slowly progressive focal neurological deficits,
depending on their location.
• Headache is usually accompanied by focal deficits or
seizures and isolated stable headache is almost never
due to intracranial tumour.
• The size of primary tumour is of far less prognostic
significance than its location within the brain.
Investigations
• Neuroimaging and pathological grading followed
biopsy or resection where possible.
• The more malignant tumours are more likely to
demonstrate contrast enhancement on imaging.
Management
• Brain tumours are treated with combination of
surgery,radiotherapy, and chemotherapy depending on
the type of tumour and the patient.
• Advancing age is the most powerful negative prognostic
factors in cns tumours so best supportive care must be
provided.
• Dexamethasone given orally may reduce the vasogenic
oedema typically associated with metastases and high
grade gliomas.
• Prolactin or growth hormone secreting pituitary
adenomas may respond well to treatment with dopamine
agonists such as bromocriptine,cabergoline and
quinagolide.
Surgery
• The mainstay of primary treatment is surgery
either resection or biopsy,depending on the site
and likely radiological diagnosis.
• Meningiomas and acoustic neuromas offer the best
prospects for complete removal and thus cure.
Radiotherapy
• In the majority of primary cns tumours,radiation and
chemotherapy are used to control disease and extend
survival rather than for cure.
• Meningioma and pituitary adenoma offer the best
chance of lifelong remission.
• Once tumour relapse,chemotherapy response rates are
low and survival is short in high grade disease
• In more uncommon low grade tumours,repeated courses
of chemotherapy can result in much more prolonged
survival.
• In metastatic disease, radiotherapy offers a modest
improvement in survival but with costs in terms of quality
of life,treatment therefore needs careful discussion with
patient.

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