Brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the brain. It can be cancerous also called malignant or non-cancerous which is called benign tumor. In general benign tumor have better outcome than malignant tumors. Brain tumor are of 2 main types, primary tumors that originate from brain and secondary(metastatic) tumors spread to brain from cancer in other organs like breast, lungs etc.
Neuro Oncology Program at Kathmandu Cancer Centre offers the highest-quality care for brain tumors and cancers. This neuro-oncology team helps you to understand your best treatment options for Brain tumors / Cancer that is ethical, humane and improve your quality of life.
Brain Tumors
In this article we will discuss about symptoms , diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors that is available in Nepal.
When to see a doctor
You should definitely see doctors advise if you notice any of following symptoms.
- Headache with nausea and vomiting.
- Seizures (fits), difficulty in speaking.
- Change in behavior, personality
- Difficulty in vision , hearing, smelling
- Paralysis or weakness of body parts
- Weakness or imbalance during walking.
If you have any of the above symptoms for more than a week or two, please consult your doctor for screening. It does not mean you have a brain tumor but it is always better to take a medical opinion.
How are brain tumors diagnosed?
Diagnosis is done by physical examination and investigations. Neurological examination is often helpful in diagnosis.
Your doctors will ask for CT-scan or MRI scan of the brain if needed. After imaging , surgery to remove tumor or biopsy to sample bit of tumor tissue is usually done. The biopsy sample is examined by pathologist and final diagnosis is done. Now a days, different molecular test may be done to identify exact molecular/genetic subtype of tumor.
How are Brain Tumors Treated?
Most common primary brain tumor is Glioma. The most widely used treatment modality in Glioma are radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Temozolomide is the commonly used chemotherapy and it is in form of a capsule which is taken orally. In some cases of Glioblastoma (type of aggressive glioma), we also us molecular targeted therapy like Bevacizumab. This drug targets a cancer cell protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This protein helps cancers to grow blood vessels, so they can get food and oxygen from the blood. All cancers need a blood supply to be able to survive and grow.
Standard treatment of Glioblastoma is
- Surgery to safely remove maximum tumor.
- Six weeks course of radiotherapy with daily tablet chemotherapy (temazolamide)
- Monthly chemotherapy for six months.
A brain tumor can occur in any age group. Medulloblastoma and Ependymoma are brain tumors that are common at young age. For Medulloblastoma, we offer Cranio-spinal Radiotherapy. In this complex technique, the whole of the brain and spinal cord are treated with radiotherapy. Sometimes, small children need anesthesia during radiotherapy. The anesthesia team provides radiotherapy under anesthesia service for such cases.
Why choose Kathmandu Cancer Center for treatment of Brain tumor in Nepal ?
As a leader in radiation oncology in Nepal, KCC provide some advanced and unique treatment for these patients. Some of these are highlighted below :
Area of expertise of our medical team:
- Precision radiotherapy with IMRT/VMAT
- Cranio-spinal axis radiotherapy(CSI)
- Pediatric radiotherapy under anesthesia
We ask you to provide CD rom of your CT / MRI scans in DICOM format. We use these digital images for CT-MRI fusion in treatment planning system for precision targeting.
At KCC, we practice advanced techniques to preserve the Hippocampus- memory center of the brain.
Scalp-sparing VMAT is another new technique in which RT to the brain is given while preserving hair.
Our Oncologists have presented papers in various national and international neuro-oncology conferences and also have written book chapters in brain tumors.
What is the cost of Brain tumor treatment in Nepal?
Treatment cost depends on many factors like type of surgery, radiotherapy technique, use of chemotherapy or targeted therapy, etc. However, the treatment cost is approximately around 40% cheaper in Nepal compared to the same quality treatment in India.
Neuro Oncology Team
Dr Subhas Pandit – Clinical Oncology
Dr Simit Sapkota – Clinical Oncology
Dr Abish Adhikari – Radiation Oncology
Dr Sundar Suwal – Intervention Radiology
Dr Rakesh Pathak – Pathology
Contact us now for appointment or consultation.