Diagnosis & grading of brain tumors

Diagnosis of brain tumor, in patients showing symptoms begins with a thorough medical history, physical exam, evaluation of possible existing risk factors and one or more of the following tests:

·         Neurologic exam: this requires evaluation of vision, hearing, alertness, muscle strength, coordination, and reflexes. Eyes are also examined for swelling as a tumor in the brain often causes this symptom.

·         MRI: A large machine with a strong magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed images of parts of the brain.

·         CT scan: An x-ray machine linked to a computer and takes a series of detailed images of the brain.

·         Angiogram: Dye injected into the bloodstream and an x-ray is taken. If a tumor is present, the x-ray may show the tumor or blood vessels that are feeding into the tumor.

·         Spinal tap: a sample of the cerebrospinal fluid is taken under local anesthesia with the help of a needle. The fluid is then examined in the laboratory for cancer cells or other signs of problems.

·         Biopsy: a sample of the brain tissue is taken and examined under the microscope. It can help show cancer, tissue changes that may lead to cancer, and other conditions. A biopsy is the only way that provides a definite diagnosis of a brain tumor, learn what grade it is, and plan treatment. It can be performed at the time of surgery or it can be a CT guided biopsy.

However, if the tumor is present in the brain stem or certain other areas, the removal of the tumor without harming normal brain tissue is quite impossible.

The diagnosis helps determine the stage/grade of brain tumor. The grade of a tumor refers to the way the cells look under a microscope and it is a factor on which treatment of any cancer depends.

·         Grade I: it shows that the tumor is benign. The cells grow slowly and almost resemble the normal tissue.

·         Grade II: shows that the tumor is malignant and its cells resemble normal cells less than the cells in a Grade I tumor.

·         Grade III: the malignant tumor has cells do not resemble the normal cells at all. The abnormal cells are actively growing (anaplastic).

·         Grade IV: the malignant tumor has abnormal cells that grow rapidly.

Over time, a low-grade tumor may become a high grade tumor. However, the change to a high-grade tumor happens more often among adults than children. More information can be found on healthcarevilla.com.