Radiotherapy Treatment - Brain disease diagnosis

Understanding The Difference Between Brain Tumour Types

For any patient undergoing a brain scan, the discovery that there is a tumour present can be a terrifying moment; a point where many people suddenly feel they are confronted with their own mortality like never before.

However, that immediate response will not necessarily be the right one. There are different kinds of brain tumours and the prognosis will vary massively. There may be some that can be dealt with relatively easily and quickly, with an excellent prognosis thereafter.

Others may pose a greater threat to life or even a terminal diagnosis, but radiotherapy treatment can delay this, sometimes for several years.

The Crucial Difference Between Brain Tumour Types

The biggest difference in cases is between benign and malignant (cancerous) tumours; this is the first and most important distinction that can be made at the point of diagnosis, as this will naturally inform the appropriate treatment methods.

It’s important to remember that a tumour diagnosis, while serious, may not be life-threatening. For example, TV presenter Davina McCall was recently diagnosed during a free private health check with a benign tumour known as a colloid cyst.

This is a fluid-filled cyst that gradually grows and puts pressure on the brain, which means it has the potential to increasingly impair function as it gets larger. In some cases, they grow so slowly that they only need to be monitored. In other cases, they can cause hydrocephalus, which can lead to brain damage and eventual death.

In the latter case, the tumour can either have a drain inserted to reverse the build-up of fluid, or surgery can remove it altogether. The latter was the treatment option chosen for Ms McCall.

In cases such as this, the good news is that, once removed, it should cease to be a problem. This is because when it comes to tumours, the definition of ‘benign’ is not about whether it is harmless or not – very few will pose no problem – but whether it is malignant, which means it is cancerous. This difference is crucial.

As Ms McCall had a benign tumour that could be excised, she will not need radiotherapy. If she had, then radiotherapy would have been one of the treatment options, alongside chemotherapy.

How Radiotherapy Helps Tumors

Radiotherapy can help in a range of ways. It can help shrink a tumour and prevent its re-growth after surgery, which may complement surgery, but can also work with chemotherapy or on its own to shrink a tumour if surgery is not an option.

Examples of this include when it can only be delivered in a very precise way with a device like a gamma knife to avoid wider brain damage. Another is when it can be given in multiple ways to different parts of the body, after a malignant tumour has spread cancer to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis.

The second of these situations is the one that is best avoided and early detection may help prevent this metastatic stage being reached or at least slow it down.

As ever, the first thing that needs to be established when a tumour is detected is what kind it is. There are various specific types, even though the single, most important distinction remains the binary one between benign and malignant.

Metastatic cancer is also known as stage 4, at which point the cancer is a great deal harder to treat and more likely to cause eventual death, but not always.

Moreover, radiotherapy and other treatments can often delay the inevitable even when no ultimate cure remains possible, extending life and enabling affected patients to spend more time with their loved ones.

Radiotherapy For Benign Tumours

There are also instances where radiotherapy can be used to treat benign tumours. This can include tumours growing on the eye, on scar tissue, or in places between bones and tendons.

Radiotherapy does have some side effects, which can include nausea, diarrhoea, hair loss, fatigue, loss of libido, appetite loss and muscle stiffness. For this reason, this will not be the first resort in treatment if other options, such as surgery, are likely to be more effective or provide a quicker solution.

However, the severity of symptoms will be linked to how much radiotherapy is used and how much radiation is delivered in each session. The tendency for benign tumours is for lower doses to be given, so the likelihood is that side effects will be milder than if the patient had a malignant tumour and was being given a higher dose.

If you have a scan and a tumour is found, don’t panic. You may find it is not malignant but benign. But whatever it is, our experts will be on hand to provide the right radiotherapy treatment if that constitutes the best and most effective treatment for you.