Brain tumour: Information & brain tumour specialists

21.11.2023
Leading Medicine Guide Editors
Author
Leading Medicine Guide Editors

A brain tumour is caused by uncontrolled cell growth in the tissue of the brain. This creates a growth that can displace or destroy healthy tissue. A brain tumour can be benign or malignant. Some brain tumours can be removed surgically.

Here you will find more information and selected brain tumour specialists.

ICD codes for this diseases: C71, D33, D43

Recommended specialists

Brief overview:

  • What is a brain tumour? A tumour disease that occurs in the brain. It can be benign or malignant. The uncontrolled cell growth is characteristic of a brain tumour.
  • Tumour types: Doctors differentiate between 130 different forms of brain tumours. They differ in their localisation, the initial tissue and the speed of their expansion. Brain metastases are growths that originated in other organs.
  • Causes: The exact causes are as yet unknown. Oncogenic viruses and ionising radiation, hormone disorders and a family history of cancer can increase the risk.
  • Symptoms: Completely different symptoms can occur, depending on the exact type of tumour. These may or may not include hearing disorders, dizzy spells, neurological deficits, epileptic seizures and personality changes.
  • Treatment: Treatment depends on the exact type of brain tumour. Some tumours can be operated unfortunately, others cannot. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy and supportive therapy are among the important pillars of treatment.

Article overview

Worldwide, an average of 3.5 people per 100,000 are affected by a malignant brain tumour. In Germany, three children out of every 100,000 have a brain tumour. This makes brain tumours the second most common malignant childhood disease.

The exact diagnosis and the determination of the type of brain tumour are decisive for the subsequent treatment. 

Tumour types

There are a total of 130 different types of brain tumours. These tumours differ in terms of

  • their localisation within the brain,
  • the tissue from which they originate and
  • the speed of their spread.

The uncontrolled cell growth is characteristic of a brain tumour.

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Better known types of brain tumours are

Brain metastases are secondary tumours. This means that they did not originate in the brain, but are due, for example, to Skin cancer are due to skin cancer.

The causes of a brain tumour

The underlying causes for the development of a brain tumour are currently still unclear. However, it is known that direct irradiation of another organ, e.g. cancer, increases the risk.

In addition to ionising radiation, research is also discussing oncogenic viruses (cancer-causing viruses) as causes of a brain tumour. A genetic or hormonal risk could also be responsible for the development of a brain tumour.

A few hereditary diseases can also cause the growth of a brain tumour. An example of this is neurofibromatosis Type 1 and 2. Otherwise, brain tumours are not proven to be hereditary.

The symptoms of brain tumours

The 30 different tumour types can have very different symptoms. So there is no clear symptom that is characteristic of all tumour types.

The effects of a brain tumour depend in particular on its localisation within the brain.

An acoustic neuroma WHO grade I, located on the brain side of the internal auditory canal, causes approximately

  • a unilateral hearing loss,
  • dizzy spells and
  • balance disorders.

A glioblastoma WHO grade IV can cause

Hirntumor
A brain tumour arises directly from the tissue of the brain. There are over 100 different types of brain tumours © peterschreiber.media | AdobeStock

The symptoms of a brain tumour can be used to determine its location in the brain. Therefore, they are a first indication for further diagnosis.

After the classification of the tumour, there is also an index to assess the patient's impairment. This form of performance impairment of a person with a brain tumour is done according to the so-called Karnofsky Index, or ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group).

The treatment of a brain tumour

The treatment of a brain tumour depends on the type of tumour and its classification. A careful diagnosis is therefore very important. As a rule, an interdisciplinary tumour conference decides on the further procedure in each individual case.

Some forms of brain tumours cannot be operated on. Here, the chances of recovery are worse.

Other types can be removed by means of brain tumour surgery. For these, the prospects of subsequent treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy are better.

The tumour itself, but also its treatment, often causes further symptoms. To alleviate this, patients usually undergo so-called supportive therapy. It usually consists of the administration of pain-relieving medication.

Some patients also want complementary therapy. This is understood to mean forms of treatment in alternative medicine. These include applications of traditional Chinese medicine or homeopathic remedies. Most of the time, patients look for appropriate providers themselves. These measures do not have a demonstrable effect that goes beyond a placebo effect. From a medical point of view, this is therefore not advisable.

Education and training of brain tumour specialists

A brain tumour specialist is usually a neurosurgeon. A neurosurgeon has completed further training to become a specialist in neurosurgery after studying medicine. The further training period is 72 months and covers the treatment of diseases that are directly or indirectly related to the brain.

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