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Other cancers · free patient guide
Brain & CNS tumours
Glioma, meningioma, and other central nervous system tumours
Neuro-oncology · Coming soon
What it is
Brain tumours are classified by molecular features as much as by appearance under a microscope. That classification is now the primary driver of treatment and of what to expect, which is why the pathology report matters more here than almost anywhere.
Not all brain tumours are malignant. Meningiomas and some other tumours are benign, though position can still make them serious.
Brain tumours are relatively uncommon but carry a disproportionate burden on families, because the effects are on personality, memory and function as much as on health.
Warning signs worth acting on
- A new seizure in an adult
- Headache that is worse in the early morning, or on coughing or bending
- Headache with vomiting, particularly on waking
- Progressive weakness, numbness or clumsiness on one side
- New difficulty with speech, vision or balance
- A change in personality, memory or behaviour noticed by family
How it is diagnosed
- MRI of the brain with contrast, the primary investigation
- Biopsy or surgical resection for tissue diagnosis
- Molecular classification on the tissue, which defines the tumour type
- Assessment by a neuro-oncology team
Molecular classification is now integral to the diagnosis itself. In this disease group, the classification is the decision.
Is it inherited?
Some inherited syndromes include brain tumours. Young onset or a family pattern should prompt counselling.
Genetic counselling & family risk →
Prevention & early detection
No established prevention or screening. New neurological symptoms in an adult should be assessed rather than watched.
Treatment options
What may form part of a plan
Which of these apply to you depends on your stage, your pathology, your other health and what you want from treatment. That decision belongs at a tumour board, not on a website.
Surgery
Operability assessment and planning here; the operation at the appropriate partner centre.
Radiotherapy
Targeted radiation to a defined area, planned in millimetres.
Chemotherapy
Drug treatment that acts on rapidly dividing cells throughout the body.
Targeted therapy
Medicines matched to a specific alteration found in your tumour.
Conservative management & active surveillance
Sometimes the right decision is to watch carefully and treat nothing yet.
Clinical trials
Most Indian patients never learn a trial exists, because nobody is looking.
At KPCIRC
The pathway for this disease
- Molecular classification-led planning
- Rehabilitation and neuro-cognitive support
- Seizure management and driving advice
- Caregiver burden pathway, families carry more of this illness than almost any other cancer
- Advance care planning, offered early and without pressure
Support that matters most here
Take this with you
Questions to ask your own doctor
These work wherever you are treated. Print the page or take a photograph of this list.
- What exact molecular classification is this?
- Is surgery possible, and what is it intended to achieve?
- What support is there for memory, speech and movement?
- What help is available for my family?
This page is not an emergency service. Severe breathlessness, chest pain, uncontrolled bleeding, a high fever during chemotherapy, or a sudden change in alertness means going to your nearest emergency department now, not reading further.