World Brain Tumour Day 2022: The biggest regrets of neurosurgeons who treat brain cancer cancer patients – Times Now

Dr Venugopal G Consultant Neurosurgeon Yashoda hospitals Hyderabad

The diagnosis of a brain tumour can be devastating for the patient and the family. A brain tumour is a mass or growth of abnormal cells in your brain. Many different types of brain tumours exist. Some brain tumours are noncancerous (benign), and some brain tumours are cancerous (malignant).

Doctors who treat brain tumours or brain cancer patients have some learnings to share. We asked Dr Venugopal G, Consultant Neurosurgeon, Yashoda Hospitals in Hyderabad - whether during the tests and treatment of brain tumour patients they ever felt helpless, wished the patient had done a certain thing to be healed sooner etc.

Renowned Neurosurgeon Dr Venugopal G said, "My biggest regret is knowing the poor prognosis of a brain tumour and yet need to operate the patient when they can only survive for a couple of years or less and family or relatives spending around 8-10 lakhs (work up, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy).In some cases, there is no light at the end of the tunnel! Literally, we have a flash of these once we look at the MRI scan revealing an ugly tumour such as the GBM!"

The doctor knows!

Get treated from the best equipped:

Dr Venugopal G says, "Our hospital (Yashoda Hospitals in Hyderabad) is equipped with all the latest gadgets in all three departments (Neurosurgery, Oncology and Radiotherapy) which work like a well-oiled machine while handling a patient. Where neurosurgery is concerned, we have 3T MRI and CT for evaluation of the tumour and we can as well do an fMRI to look for the eloquent area damage, followed by the well equipped modular operation theatre which has an advanced Pentero microscope, CUSA, high-speed drill, Neuro Navigation, intraoperative 3T MRI, IONM ( Intra Operative Neuro Monitoring), Endoscopes. Paragon An expert neurosurgeon's skill is amplified by these peerless types of equipment."

Is a brain tumour always terminal/fatal?

Dr Venugopal says, no. "Research is going on things are getting better for some of the tumours. Thanks to the molecular biologists and new technologies in the surgeon's armamentarium. For low-grade gliomas, meningiomas, and pituitary adenomas which usually come under grades I and II things are very reassuring compared to a decade ago.

"Some of the tumours like GBM, and metastatic brain tumours are still lethal but even in these types, some breakthroughs are coming albeit at clinical trial levels only. Nanomedicine surely is the only hope for this kind of tumours. These tumour cells multiply at a rapid pace and will be resistant to some of the available chemo drugs and radiotherapy too. Research in all the fields (surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy) will bring a panacea for patients with these lethal tumours.

The date, significance, importance, history and theme of World Brain Tumour Day:

The World Brain Tumour Day is observed on June 8 every year to spread awareness about brain tumours and educate people about them. The non-profit organisation, Deutsche Hirntumorhilfe e.V or German Brain Tumour Association, observed the first World Brain Tumour Day on June 8, 2000.

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