Brain Cancer Treatment in Turkey

Brain Cancer Treatment in Turkey is an article that aims to give you all the information you do not know about Brain Cancer Treatment in Turkey and more. We kindly shared the main headings with you;

An abnormal growth or mass of cells in or near your brain is known as a brain tumor. Central nervous system (CNS) tumors refer to both brain and spinal tumors collectively. Both benign and malignant (cancerous) brain tumors are possible. While some tumors grow up fast, others take their time.

Your body’s cells receive instructions from your DNA through your chromosomes on how and when to grow, divide, proliferate, and/or die. Your brain cells receive new instructions when the DNA in brain cells changes. Your body creates aberrant brain cells that may live longer than average and expand and replicate more quickly than average. If that occurs, the aberrant cell population in your brain quickly outgrows its available area. Invest in your health, invest in a brighter future. Our comprehensive medical programs deliver real results, while you indulge in the beauty and serenity of our destination.

A person might occasionally be born with modifications to one or more of these genes. Further harm may subsequently result from environmental variables such as prior cancer treatment or exposure to high radiation levels from X-rays. 

In other situations, the genetic damage caused by the environment might be the only factor.

 Several uncommon, hereditary diseases that are inherited (transmitted from parent to kid) and connected to brain tumors include:

• Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1 gene)
• Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2 gene)
• Turcot syndrome (APC gene)
• Gorlin syndrome (PTCH gene)
• Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1 and TSC2 genes)
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome (TP53 gene)

Primary tumors are tumors that form in the brain. Secondary tumors, also known as metastatic brain tumors, are cancers that develop in another part of your body before spreading to your brain. 

Over 150 different types of brain tumors have been identified by researchers. Primary tumors are categorized by healthcare professionals as

• Benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous)
• Glial (made up of glial cells in your brain) or non-glial (formed on or in the structures of your brain, including nerves, blood arteries, and glands)

Your spinal column or cranium can develop a variety of brain cancers as well.

• Meningiomas: The most frequent kind of primary brain tumors are meningiomas. Typically, meningiomas grow slowly. They develop in the meninges, the tissue layers that cover your brain and spinal cord and protect them. Meningiomas can occasionally be cancerous.
• Chordomas: These slowly developing tumors usually start near the base of the skull or the lower section of the spine. Most of them are benign.
• Craniopharyngiomas: A section of your pituitary gland is where these tumors typically develop. The proximity of these tumors to important brain areas makes them challenging to remove.
• Gangliocytomas, gangliomas, and anaplastic gangliogliomas: The rare cancers gangliocytomas, gangliomas, and anaplastic gangliogliomas develop in neurons (nerve cells).
• Glomus jugulare: These tumors are often found near the top of the jugular vein (neck vein), directly below the base of the skull. They represent the most typical variety of glomus tumor.
• Pineocytomas: Your pineal gland, which is buried deep inside your brain and secretes the hormone melatonin, can develop these slowly growing tumors.
• Pituitary adenomas: Your pituitary gland, which is found near the base of your brain, can develop these tumors. The pituitary gland in your body produces and regulates hormones. Pituitary adenomas typically grow slowly and have the potential to overproduce pituitary hormones.
• Schwannomas: These benign brain tumors are quite frequent in adults. They originate from the Schwann cells in your cranial nerves or peripheral nervous system. Nerve impulses are helped in their conduction by Schwann cells. The most typical schwannoma is an acoustic neuroma. These tumors develop on the vestibular nerve, which connects the inner ear to the brain.

Gliomas make up around 78% of malignant primary brain tumors. These tumors form in the glial cells that support and surround nerve cells. Glioma varieties include:

• Astrocytoma: The most prevalent form of glioma is an astrocytoma. They develop in glial cells with a starlike shape known as astrocytes. Although they can develop in numerous areas of the brain, the cerebrum is where they most frequently do.
• Ependymomas: These brain tumors frequently develop close to the ventricles. Radial glial cells, also known as ependymal cells, give rise to ependymomas. These tumors, known as glioblastomas (GBM), develop in glial cells known as astrocytes. The astrocytoma that grows the fastest is the GBM.
• Oligodendroglioma: These rare cancers start in the cells that produce myelin, the insulating sheath that surrounds your brain’s nerves.
• Medulloblastoma: Another kind of malignant brain tumor is a medulloblastoma. These tumors start at the base of your skull and grow quickly. The majority of pediatric malignant brain tumors are these.

When a brain tumor is relatively small, some people don’t exhibit any symptoms. The location, size, and type of the tumor all influence the signs and symptoms of a brain tumor.

Whether or not they are malignant, brain tumors can have serious consequences. This is due to the rigidity of your skull, which prevents the tumor from growing. Additionally, if a tumor grows close to brain regions that regulate essential functions, it may result in symptoms like:

• Difficulty in walking
• Weakness
• Difficulties with balance
• Partial or total eyesight loss
• Linguistic or understanding problems
• Memory problems
• Nausea or vomiting
• Confusion and disorientation

Brain tumors can be problematic by:

• Directly encroaching upon healthy brain tissue and destroying it
• Applying force on tissue close by
• Applying pressure inside your head (intracranial pressure)
• Causing your brain to become swollen
• Increasing the gaps within your brain by obstructing the regular flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
• Causing bleeding in the brain

Brain tumor diagnosis can be a challenging process that involves multiple specialists. But occasionally, doctors who are performing imaging tests for another illness could find a brain tumor as well. Your doctor will do a physical examination if you are showing signs of a brain tumor. They’ll inquire about your:

• Symptoms
• Your state of health issues
• Current pharmaceuticals
• Procedures and medical care
• Family medical record

They might also conduct a neurological examination, which includes observing any changes in your:

• Balance and coordination
• Mental status
• Hearing
• Vision
• Reflexes

These modifications can indicate the region of your brain that a tumor may be affecting. The following step is typically a brain scan, most frequently an MRI, if your medical professional thinks you might have a brain tumor.

To identify a brain tumor, medical professionals run a number of tests, including:

• Brain MRI or CT scan: The best imaging technique for detecting brain cancers is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). If you can’t get an MRI, computed tomography (CT) is a good option. A contrast chemical, which makes the tumor easier to see during these tests, is injected into one of your veins beforehand. These examinations can provide precise information about the tumor’s size and location. In order to determine whether the tumor has progressed to other organs like the lungs, intestines, or breasts, your healthcare practitioner may also examine those areas of your body.
• Biopsy: To determine the type of tumor and if it is cancerous, healthcare professionals typically need to perform a biopsy of the tumor (removal of a sample of the tumor for inspection under a microscope). A neurosurgeon may take a biopsy while performing surgery to remove all or a portion of the tumor. A stereotactic biopsy, which entails drilling a tiny hole in your skull and inserting a needle to remove a sample of tumor tissue, may be used if the tumor is difficult to access. 
• Spinal tap (Lumbar puncture): A tiny needle is used during a spinal tap (also known as a lumbar puncture) to draw cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the area surrounding your spine. This fluid is examined in a lab to check for cancerous cells. When doctors have reason to believe that the tumor has spread to the meninges, the tissues that cover your brain, they perform this treatment.
• Specialized tests: A few tests may occasionally aid in the diagnosis. For instance, your doctor may request tests to analyze your blood and cerebrospinal fluid for tumor markers, which are molecules that some cancers release. Additionally, they can check for gene anomalies that are typical of particular malignancies.

To treat a tumor, medical professionals frequently use a mix of medicines. Your medical choices could consist of:

• Surgery: When it is possible, neurosurgeons remove the tumor during brain surgery (craniotomy). To limit harm to your brain’s functional parts, they work cautiously, sometimes performing surgery while you’re conscious (you won’t experience pain).
• Radiosurgery: Radiosurgery is a form of radiation therapy that targets tumors with intense radiation beams, such as proton or gamma rays. Since there isn’t a cut or incision, it isn’t really surgery.
• Radiotherapy: High dosages of X-rays are used in radiation therapy to kill brain tumor cells or cause the tumor to become smaller.
• Brachytherapy: Radiation therapy in the form of brachytherapy. It entails surgically inserting radioactive seeds, capsules, or other implants into the cancerous tumor or in close proximity to it.
• Immunotherapy: Also known as biological therapy, immunotherapy makes use of the immune system to treat cancer. The major goal of the therapy is to boost your immune system and enable it to function more efficiently.

• Chemotherapy: This treatment uses anti-cancer medications to eradicate cancerous cells from your body and brain. Chemotherapy can be administered as a tablet or as an injection into a vein. Following surgery, your doctor may advise chemotherapy to eradicate any cancer cells that remain or to stop the growth of tumor cells.
• Targeted therapy: Drugs used in targeted therapy specifically target characteristics of cancer cells while sparing healthy cell damage. If you have problems coping with the adverse effects of chemotherapy, such as exhaustion and nausea, your doctor may advise targeted therapy.
• Watchful waiting or active surveillance: If you have a very small brain tumor that isn’t causing symptoms, your doctor may advise keeping a careful eye on the tumor for any signs of growth and recommending routine tests.

Additional remedies for brain tumor-related symptoms include,

• Shunts: If the tumor increases the pressure within your skull, you could require surgery to insert a shunt (a small tube) in your brain to drain extra cerebrospinal fluid.
• Medications like mannitol and corticosteroids: These drugs may lessen the pressure inside your head. They lessen the tumor’s surrounding edema.
• Palliative care: Palliative care is a type of specialist treatment that offers comfort, support, and symptom reduction to persons with life-threatening illnesses. It also offers assistance to those who are caring for a loved one and who are affected by their disease.

Treatment for brain tumors depends on a number of variables, including:

• The site, dimensions, and kind of the tumor
• How many tumors there are
• Your age
• Your general well-being

Brain tumors that are benign (noncancerous) are typically successfully treated with surgery and don’t recur. A lot of the time, it depends on whether your neurosurgeon can safely remove the entire tumor. Treatments that are often well tolerated by adult brains, such as radiation therapy, may impede a child’s brain from developing normally, especially in younger children under the age of five.

• Effectiveness of the treatment. Turkey provides patients with cutting-edge therapies. Patients are grateful for the favorable results of these cutting-edge therapies.
• The professionalism of the doctors. Turkish medical professionals with extensive training and experience in treating brain cancer carry out a lot of procedures and treatments and are a part of renowned organizations.
• Service quality. Patients value the excellent quality of service, which includes complimentary services like transportation from the airport to the hospital and translation services.
• Cost. In Turkey, cancer treatment prices are more affordable than in other countries. The treatment price changes according to the stage of the cancer and the treatment types that are used.

To calculate the price of your specialized treatment use the cost calculator below.

Unfortunately, brain tumors cannot be prevented. Avoiding environmental risks like smoking and excessive radiation exposure can lower your risk of getting a brain tumor. It’s crucial to let your doctor know if you have a first-degree biological relative (parent, sibling, or other close relative) who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. To determine whether you have an inherited genetic condition linked to brain cancers, they might advise genetic counseling.

Depending on your age, race, and general health, different types of brain tumors have variable survival rates. Estimates of survival rates are made using averages.

Numerous variables affect and greatly change survival rates. Discuss your diagnosis’ expected outcomes with your healthcare provider.

The percentage of persons who survive at least five years after receiving a brain tumor diagnosis is shown by the five-year survival rate. Meningioma, the most prevalent kind of primary benign (noncancerous) brain tumor, has a five-year survival rate of:

• Over 96%, for kids aged 14 and younger
• 97%, for the individuals aged 15 to 39
• Almost 87%, for the individuals aged 40 and older

If you want to learn more about brain cancer treatment in Turkey and have concerns about how to live with brain cancer you can use the free consulting service that Medical Center Turkey team offers you. Feel free to contact us.