Glioma

Diagnosis

The following tests and techniques are used to identify gliomas:

• Nerves and brain function exam. Your vision, hearing, balance, coordination, strength, and reflexes will all be tested during a neurological exam. A brain tumor may be a sign if there is trouble doing a certain task.
• Brain imaging tests. In order to hunt for indications of a brain tumor, imaging procedures produce images of your brain. The most often utilized imaging test is the MRI. Before getting an MRI, a dye injection may be necessary. Better photos are produced as a result.

Positron Emission Tomography, also known as a PET scan, and Computed Tomography (CT) are two further imaging examinations that may be performed.

• Biopsy. Before starting treatment, it may be necessary to perform a technique known as a biopsy to remove some of the tissue for testing. It is done when eliminating the brain tumor surgically is not an option. You might not require a biopsy before surgery if your brain tumor will be removed surgically.

A needle may be employed to collect the tissue sample. Imaging studies are used to guide the needle. The term “stereotactic needle biopsy” refers to this process. A little hole is formed in the skull during the surgery. The hole is then filled with a tiny needle. The needle is used to remove tissue, which is then submitted to a lab for analysis.

• Tests on tumor cells. A lab may get a sample of the brain tumor for analysis. Samples from biopsy procedures may be used. Or the sample might be obtained during the glioma removal procedure.

The sample is taken to a lab, where it is examined by medical professionals with expertise in examining body tissue and blood. They are known as pathologists.

You can find out if you have gliomas and what kind you have by having laboratory tests done. The results of other testing may reveal the glioma cells’ rate of growth. Advanced testing examine the DNA alterations that the glioma cells have. Your medical team uses the test results to confirm your diagnosis and develop a treatment strategy.

Treatment

Surgery is frequently the first step in glioma therapy. Surgery, however, is not always a possibility. For instance, it might be dangerous to remove the entire glioma if it spreads to critical areas of the brain. As an initial course of action, various therapies like chemotherapy and radiation therapy might be suggested.

The optimal course of treatment for you will depend on your unique circumstances. Your medical team takes into account the glioma’s type, size, nature, and location in the brain. Your health and personal preferences will also influence your treatment strategy.

Controlling symptoms

If your glioma is giving you symptoms, you may require medication to help you feel better. Your situation will determine the meds you require. Possible choices of medications are used for:

• Managing seizure
• Contain steroids to lessen brain swelling.
• Increasing alertness if you are extremely tired.
• Treating memory and thinking issues.

Surgery

The first step in the treatment of gliomas is typically surgery to remove the tumor. If the entire glioma is removed, surgery may be the sole course of action required.

Sometimes it is impossible to entirely eradicate the glioma. As much of the glioma as is practical may be removed by the surgeon. Sometimes this technique is referred to as a subtotal resection. If the glioma and healthy brain tissue can’t be clearly distinguished from one another, it might be necessary. It might also occur if the glioma is located in a delicate region of the brain. Even partial tumor removal might help you feel better.

There are complications associated with glioma surgery. These include bleeding and infection. The location of your tumor in your brain and any additional dangers could vary. For instance, vision loss could occur after surgery on a tumor close to the nerves that control your eyes.

Radiation therapy

To eliminate tumor cells, radiation uses high energy beams. Protons, X-rays, and other types of energy are possible sources.

After surgery, radiation therapy is frequently used to treat gliomas. Any remaining glioma cells after surgery are eliminated by the radiation. Chemotherapy is frequently used with radiation.

If surgery is not an option, radiation therapy may be the first course of treatment for gliomas.

You lie on a table during radiation therapy as a machine directs energy beams at certain regions of your head. The beams are meticulously tailored to deliver the glioma with exact doses of radiation. Five days a week for a few weeks of radiation therapy is a typical routine.

The type and dose of radiation you get will determine the side effects of radiation therapy. Fatigue, scalp irritability, and hair loss are typical side effects that occur during or shortly after radiation.

Chemotherapy

Drugs are used in chemotherapy to kill tumor cells. Most frequently, chemotherapy drugs are swallowed as pills or administered intravenously. Chemotherapy may occasionally be administered directly to the glioma cells.

Radiation treatment and chemotherapy are frequently combined to treat gliomas.

The type and dosage of the medications you get during chemotherapy affect the side effects. Nausea and vomiting, hair loss, fever, and extreme fatigue are typical side effects. Medication may be used to manage some adverse effects.

Tumor treating fields therapy

Electrical energy is used in the therapy known as tumor therapeutic fields to harm the glioma cells. The treatment hinders the cells’ ability to generate new glioma cells.

Treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of glioma, involves tumor-treating fields treatment. This procedure is frequently carried out concurrently with chemotherapy.

The scalp is covered in sticky pads during this procedure. For the pads to adhere, you might have to shave your head. The pads are connected to a portable device using wires. An electrical field created by the device damages the glioma cells.

Skin irritation where the pads are put to the scalp is one of the side effects of the tumor-treating fields therapy.

Targeted therapy

Treatments for targeted therapy concentrate on particular compounds found in cancer cells. Targeted therapy therapies can kill cancer cells by blocking these substances.

To determine if targeted therapy might benefit you, your glioma cells might be examined. If a slow-growing glioma cannot be entirely eliminated after surgery, targeted therapy may be utilized instead. If prior therapies haven’t been successful for other gliomas, targeted therapy may be an alternative.

The medication used and the dose administered determine any side effects.

Rehabilitation post treatment

Parts of the brain that control movement and thought can be damaged by glioma and its treatment. After treatment, you might require assistance to regain your capacity for movement, speech, vision, and clear thinking. The following treatments are possible aids:

• Occupational therapy, which can assist you in recovering from a brain tumor or other sickness so that you can resume your normal activities, including job.
• Speech therapy, which can be of assistance if you have trouble speaking.
• Physical therapy, which can aid in the recovery of lost motor abilities or muscular strength.
• Training school-age children, which can aid children in adjusting to memory and cognitive changes brought on by a brain tumor.