Punjab Institute of Nureo Sciences Executive Director Prof Khalid Mahmood said that World Brain Tumour Day is an annual celebration observed on June 8.
He stated that brain tumour is one of those uncommon ailments that can be death-dealing. However, despite being an atypical condition overall, brain tumour stands as 10th most common tumour. Worldwide, it affects about 2 percent of people. He thanked the German Brain Tumour Association, who undertook the initiative of bringing awareness about brain tumour amongst the general masses.
In Pakistan on this day apart from general awareness, we let our citizens know what new diagnostic and treatment expertise we have brought in for poor people in public sector.
Out of these one third are malignant and two third are non-malignant. We do not have exact incidence of these tumors in Pakistan as we do not have central tumor registry for our population.
It is not exactly known what causes these tumors. However there is increased risk in certain rare genetic syndromes and childhood exposure to radiation. Certainly if father or a brother has brain tumor, there is no increased risk in children or rest of family members.
Prof Khalid declared that brain tumours can present with headaches, problem with vision, epilepsy, stroke, personality changes and drowsiness. If not diagnosed early, may lead to comatose condition.
ED PINS said on this occasion that, now a days it is very easy to diagnose these tumors with a contrast CT scan of brain which is widely available. Sometimes we have to do MRI scan of brain which gives better details of tumour size, location and its exact relation with blood vessels and eloquent parts of brain like speech, arm, face, leg areas. Ist 3 Tesla MRI in public sector of Pakistan is functional at PINS Lahore General Hospital with functional and DTI imaging which has given new dimension to eleqarea tumour surgery.
There are 100 different types of brain tumours and not every tumour is cancerous. Different types of brain tumours present in different age groups from childhood to old age. Tumours can either arise from brain primarily or spread to it from rest of body. However tumours arising from brain do not spread to other parts of body.
He further stated that a neurosurgeon should operate in a way as to steal away tumor from brain during surgery, meaning that rest of brain should remain undisturbed and there should be no/minimal external evidence of surgery!
Recently there has been great improvement in treatment for brain tumours in Pakistan which is at par with international standards. Today neurosurgeon does minimally invasive surgery which means small area of head shave, small incision hidden in hair line with better visibility and direct and safe access to tumour with neuronavigation and operating microscope. Tumours at base of brain like pituitary tumours, skull base meningiomas etc. can be accessed through nose with endoscope without any external evidence of brain surgery. The magnified image along with crushing and suction of tumour with Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) makes surgery very safe.
All these diagnostic and operative facilities are available at Lahore General Hospital. We have also started painless but awake brain tumour surgery at PINS so that surgeon stops removing a tumour as soon as there is early weakness in arm on difficulty with speech.
