If you have been diagnosed with a brain tumor, you are faced with the need to make a decision - to make a choice that can be very difficult. Where to go for help? What is the first step?
Polymedex team of medical experts helps patients with this pathology choose the best treatment methods in clinics of different countries. Our experts will offer you a clinic, develop a personalized treatment plan.
Having experience in this area, we offer clinics with the most modern and high-tech equipment and doctors with the latest achievements in the treatment of various types of brain tumors, including primary (e.g. gliomas), metastatic brain tumors, pituitary tumors, meningiomas and skull base tumors.
We offer clinics that use the most advanced surgical technologies, such as intraoperative MRI scans, brain mapping (imaging), stereotactic radiosurgery, and proton therapy.
According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine - almost 10,000 adults and children are diagnosed with brain or spinal cord tumors annually.
There are over 125 different types of brain cancer. Doctors usually classify them as:
Despite the fact that the diagnosis of a tumor of a low degree of differentiation (benign) may not look as serious as malignant, these types of brain cancer can also be life-threatening. The skull cannot expand to make room for the growing tumor, and therefore the tumor can crush or damage the brain tissue, which is very dangerous.
There are various risk factors for developing a brain tumor, but contrary to popular belief, there are only two proven environmental risk factors: x-ray irradiation of the head with first-generation devices and the use of drugs that suppress the immune system.
Symptoms are primarily associated with the location of the tumor, and not with its size. Depending on the type of brain tumor and its stage, the doctor may recommend surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these methods. Since metastatic brain tumors consist of various types of cells, their treatment is different from the treatment of primary brain tumors.
We offer treatment to patients with all types of brain tumors, but here are a few of the most common.
Glioma is the most common type of primary brain tumor. These tumors develop from glial cells that perform important brain functions. There are several types of gliomas, including low-grade glioma, glioblastoma, astrocytoma, etc.
The methods of treatment depend on the type of glioma. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are important to help you cope with this ailment.
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive type of brain cancer in adults. Glioblastomas can metastasize (spread) through the brain tissue and are difficult to remove.
This cancer develops from lymphocytes of the lymphatic system, the main function of which is to help you fight diseases and infections. Lymphocytes in your brain, eyes, spinal cord and the three membranes that cover your brain and spinal cord can degenerate into cancerous ones and begin to grow and spread uncontrollably. This type of tumor is more common in people with weakened immune systems.
Tumors of the pineal region develop from the cells of the small endocrine system of the pineal gland, located deep in your brain, and are responsible for the secretion of hormones directly into the blood. These tumors can cause problems when they interfere with cerebrospinal fluid circulation, squeeze brain tissue, or inhibit hormone production.
There are two main types of pineal region tumors: germ cell tumors that arise from reproductive (egg or sperm) cells in the pineal region, and pineal cell tumors that arise from the parenchymal cells of the pineal gland.
Pituitary tumors arise from the epithelial cells that cover your pituitary gland, which helps control the release of hormones by other glands in your endocrine system. These tumors can cause excessive production of pituitary hormones, which in turn can lead to various other disorders.
Meningioma grows from the membranes that surround your brain from the inside of the skull. Most meningiomas are benign tumors that grow slowly, although some can develop into cancer. These tumors cause seizures in approximately 25% of people.
Patients with meningioma usually have a good prognosis. But if meningioma forms after treatment, it can become problematic, even life-threatening. For people who have grade I meningiomas (benign), usually radiation therapy is sufficient for treatment. There is a risk of tumor return (relapse), especially if it is not completely removed.
Polymedex-recommended neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists and radiation oncologists have extensive experience in treating meningiomas at all stages. Most of them are benign. They are either observed on MRI, or removed if they are large or growing. The main goal of the treatment is to remove the tumor. If this is not possible or if the tumor is aggressive, our doctors use a combination of radiation and other treatments to slow down or stop the growth of the tumor
Our treatment approaches include:
Radiosurgery has been used to treat meningiomas for many years. New equipment and experience in radiation therapy have improved significantly. Now radiation therapy is directly aimed at the tumor. This accuracy allows you to maintain nearby healthy tissue.
Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma) is a type of benign tumor that starts from Schwann cells that are located around the peripheral nerves in your ear. These tumors can cause hearing and balance problems. Most grow very slowly. As it grows, an acoustic neuroma compresses nearby nerves, blood vessels, and the surface of the brain stem and cerebellum. This pressure can cause neurological problems.
Radiation therapy can reduce or destroy the cells of an acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma).
We can recommend radiation therapy in a modern clinic depending on your symptoms, the size or shape of the tumor, your age and other health problems. Radiotherapy can also be recommended if your tumor is located in a place that makes it difficult to remove it surgically, or if we are not able to surgically remove the entire tumor.
Different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions of the body, such as movement, vision, speech and many others. Because space is limited within the skull, the signs and symptoms of a brain tumor usually develop when abnormal tissue expands and destroys or presses on healthy brain tissue. The tissue around the tumor swells or the tumor interferes with the normal flow of fluid around your brain and spinal cord.
Depending on where the tumor is located, this can cause temporary problems with vision, speech, cramps, and loss of consciousness.
Other symptoms may include:
Keep in mind that the symptoms of a brain tumor often resemble the symptoms caused by other diseases. If you experience these symptoms and have problems, talk with your doctor.
Most people diagnosed with a brain tumor did not seem to be exposed to known risk factors. However, it has been proven that certain environmental factors and genetic conditions increase a person’s risk of developing tumors.
There are several myths about the causes of brain tumors that do not have sufficient evidence to confirm them. For example, there is as yet no reliable data that would indicate that the use of cell phones - or the effects of non-ionizing radiation that these phones emit - will lead to the development of a brain tumor.
Talk to your doctor if you have any doubts about the risk of a brain tumor.
Everyone who seeks help from a Polymedex team of experts about finding a clinic for treating a brain tumor receives empathy and personalized help.
We offer clinics equipped with equipment that delivers powerful doses of radiation energy directly to the tumor cells using the most accurate methods available.
Oncologists focus on the quality of your life throughout the treatment, making sure that you receive the necessary support and care after the treatment.
Specialists from various fields of medicine will develop a treatment plan specifically for you. The association of experts in surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and quality of life issues helps us to choose the most optimal combination of treatment methods that provide the best result.
Radiation therapy works by reducing or destroying the cancer cells that make up a brain tumor. Your recommended clinic may prescribe radiation therapy as the main treatment for your tumor, or suggest combining it with surgery, chemotherapy, or both. Radiotherapy is also used for tumors that reoccur after initial treatment (relapse).
Modern technologies - linear accelerators, advanced imaging methods, high-speed computer systems help treat patients with brain tumors with more powerful and accurate radiation doses than ever before.
The type of radiation we recommend to you depends on several factors, including the type, size, and location of the tumor. Our specialists in radiosurgery and therapy use three types of external radiation therapy for primary brain tumors.
Intensity-modulating radiation therapy, or IMRT, uses sophisticated software and 3D CT imaging to focus high-dose radiation directly on the tumor. These laser-like thin beams differ in intensity and correspond to the specific shape and size of the tumor, reducing the effect on the healthy tissue of your brain, as well as reducing the number of side effects.
Program Therapy (IGRT), which uses real-time imaging using CT or X-rays during radiation therapy. This ensures perfect positioning and negates the movement of the tumor during treatment. IGRT - allows to carry out radiotherapy with high accuracy.
Many patients with smaller brain tumors may be prescribed a treatment called EDGE. This method is also known as stereotactic radio surgery or stereotactic radiation therapy. EDGE Varian uses innovative methods that allow patients to remain completely still during treatment, with many types of images and a sophisticated computer system. This makes it possible to deliver very high doses of radiation to brain tumors, while maintaining healthy tissue around the tumor. The dose that is administered is greater than in standard radiation therapy, but it is prescribed for a short period of time. Sometimes just one dose is enough, which is delivered with micromillimeter accuracy.
EDGE Varian helps to avoid the risk of hemorrhage, infection and the need for anesthesia. It is recommended for patients with brain tumors that cannot be removed surgically, or for people with cancer that is too large for surgery. This is also an option for those who cannot tolerate anesthesia.
Standard radiation therapy is carried out daily in smaller doses, usually for several weeks. Some exact treatments like EDGE Varian can be prescribed for one day, due to RapidArc technology,. This can be done on an outpatient basis.
Historically, there have been a limited number of chemotherapeutic agents for treating brain tumors. This is explained by potential side effects when drugs enter the brain and the difficulties of their penetration through the blood-brain barrier - the "wall" that protects the brain, removing toxins from the brain tissue to the blood.
In recent years, however, researchers have expanded the use of chemotherapy as the next approach after surgery and radiation therapy. Recently, it has been proven that a number of drugs prolong the lives of patients and improve the treatment of brain tumors.
Increasingly, studies show that cancer cells with specific genetic mutations respond to certain drugs in certain ways. Oncologists are now using molecular information about the tumors of individual patients to determine which drugs are most likely to improve treatment outcomes and survival.
When conducting a biopsy of a tumor, they conduct tests on cells from your tissue sample to find mutations that can tell you which chemotherapeutic drug is most effective in fighting your tumor. Even if you do not start chemotherapy immediately, the test data will be relevant, and chemotherapy can be performed at a later time if the disease progresses.
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