Brain tumors represent only 1 to 2% of all neoplasms in Brazil, but although they are little incident, the diagnosis has a great impact to the patient and their families. However, medicine has already advanced in treatment options for this type of cancer – and it is on this theme that the last episode of “CNN Vital Signs – Dr. Kalil Interview ”Special about brain discusses.
Aired this Saturday (10), the program has special guests from Dr. Roberto Kalil : Ludmila Koch, oncologist at Albert Einstein Hospital, and neurosurgeon Marcos Stavale. In the brain episode, experts discussed the difficulties of these types of tumors and advances in medicine for treatment.
“When we talk about brain tumors, it is a diversity of neoplasms. They are relatively poorly incident tumors, 1 to 2% of all neoplasms. Thinking here in Brazil, it is estimated that we would be between three and five cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Thinking about our population, it would give between 6.6 thousand to 11 thousand new cases per year,” says Koch.
According to Stavale, the main challenge of brain tumors, as in all cases of cancer, is early diagnosis, which requires attention to symptoms.
“Global symptoms are generally because of increased pressure within the skull. The most common is headache. Then, evolves, the worse, the person may have vomiting, and if not discovered or treated, the person starts to get sleepy and can enter a coma,” he explains.
“And there is another group of symptoms that are the localized symptoms. That is, a tumor in the motor area, causes motor symptoms, a tumor in the area of speech, causes language symptoms… All this is quite visible in neurological examination,” he adds.
Stavale also explains that in people over 55, symptoms may take longer to appear. “In older people, the brain decreases a little size and we have more water in the head. So the tumor grows faster and does not increase the pressure in the skull, it takes time to manifest,” he adds.
Among the treatment options for brain tumors, surgery is the most common way to reduce tumor size. In recent years, surgical techniques have evolved a lot in the expert’s view.
“We operate for a computer graphics system called Neuronavigation. A little robot points the way. So you open less and less the skull, use an ultrasonic vacuum cleaner, which you touch the tumor and it sucks. Many patients of mine operate and don’t even go to the ICU and go home in two or three days,” says Stavale.
“The most important thing is a multidisciplinary team engaged in patient treatment. Because we need the support of neurosurgeon, neurologist, management of seizures, radiotherapist and, of course, health teams for the patient’s own rehabilitation,” adds Koch.
But, after all, is it possible to talk about healing? “Some [pacientes] They have healing, some have no cure, but most have control. Sometimes it’s a problem for you to live with, not to solve, ”says Stavale. But both are exhaustive in saying that each case is a case.“ We talk about personalized medicine, but I think the most important is the patient’s personalization, ”concludes Koch.
The “CNN Vital Signs – Dr. Kalil Interview” airs on Saturday, May 10, at 7:30 pm, at CNN Brazil.
This content was originally published in Kalil and guests discuss advances in the treatment of brain tumors on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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