Neurology and Neuroradiology

Neuro-Oncology & Tumours

Neuro-oncology is the multidisciplinary specialty focused on the state-of-the-art treatment and advanced development research in brain and spinal cord neoplasm and many of which are very hazardous and life-threatening (glioma, glioblastoma multiforme, pontine glioma, ependymoma, astrocytoma, and brain stem tumors). Among the malignant brain cancers, glioblastoma multiforme, high-grade astrocytoma, gliomas of the brainstem and pons are worst.

A brain tumor occurs when a mass of tissue that’s shaped by an aggregation of abnormal cells. Generally, the cells in the body age, die and recover by the new cells but the tumor cells grow, even though the body doesn’t need them, and not at all like typical old cells, they don’t pass on.

Cancer spreads to the nervous system by direct invasion or compression from continuous tissues related to the relation of the nervous system to other structures. Some brain tumors are cancerous (malignant) and a few brain tumors are noncancerous (benign). Brain tumors can begin in your brain called primary brain tumors, or cancer can start in other parts of your body and spread to your brain called metastatic or secondary brain tumors but not all brain tumors are cancer.

Oncological treatment is most effective for patients in the best prognostic categories as determined by a combination of patient factors (age | performance status) and tumour factors (location | histology | grade | respectability and | in certain tumours | genotype).