Brain Tumour
The World Health Organisation categorises brain tumours into four grades in accordance with their growth potential and malignancy:
Grade I - most benign tumours, recurrence is rare, complete cure with surgery possible
Grade II - benign tumours with potential for malignant transformation
Grade III - anaplastic tumours that often require a combination of surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy for treatment
Grade IV - malignant tumours that have high recurrence potential.
Surgery may be the only treatment approach for a brain tumour, or it may be used in combination with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Typically, the skull is opened up (craniotomy) giving the surgeon access to the tumour and allowing removal of as much of the tumour as possible without damaging brain tissue.
A stereotactic biopsy is another surgical procedure often performed to aid in tumour diagnosis. A small hole is drilled into the skull and a sample of tissue removed for examination under the microscope.
Pituitary tumours and skull base tumours are removed by an endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach, by a neurosurgeon and ENT surgeon working together.
Some brain tumours are also removed through a craniotomy with the patient awake to minimise neurological deficit when the tumour is in elequant parts of the brain.
Vestibular schwannomas, also known as acoustic neuromas are removed through posterior fossa craniotomy, translabyrinthine or middle fossa approaches in conjunction with an ENT surgeon.
The common tumours include glioblastoma, astrocytoma, meningioma, pituitary adenoma, metastases, vestibular schwannomas and others. The Stealth navigation system is used to help in the removal of tumours.
Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill abnormal cells, while chemotherapy uses chemicals (medicines) to destroy cancer cells, after surgery.
Recent Pages
- Brain Tumour
- Auckland DHB Nutrition
Auckland City Hospital, Greenlane Clinical Centre - Colonoscopy
- Southern Cross Hospital - North Harbour - Gynaecological Surgery
Southern Cross Hospital - North Harbour - Parotidectomy
- Laparoscopic Bariatric (Obesity) Surgery
- Personality Disorder
- Auckland District Palliative Care Network
Auckland City Hospital - Caughey Preston Trust
- Kari Centre Community Teams
Greenlane Clinical Centre