Treatment of brain cancer

The treatment of brain cancer can be quite successful: it all depends on the stage of the process, the patient's condition, the size of education and other factors.

Brain cancer is one of the most terrible, dangerous and complex diseases.

Treatment of brain cancer

Treatment of oncological diseases of the brain is a difficult task. Each patient undergoes therapy prescribed to him by the doctor individually: basically this is a surgical method, accompanied by radiation and chemotherapy.

The indicated methods of treatment should be applied in a complex. One-sided approach is not acceptable in the treatment of any disease, especially such a serious pathology as oncology.

The determining therapeutic method in oncology is surgical. However, he is not omnipotent: not all neoplasms of the brain can be removed without a trace. Sometimes it happens that the tumor-like formation is among the centers of regulation of the vital activity of the organism. Cancer can so germinate in the area of these centers that complete removal of the tumor is no longer possible, since it will entail the destruction of the necessary vital brain structures.

In such situations, neoplasm is removed as much as possible, and after surgery, radiotherapy and polychemotherapy are included.

Surgical treatment of brain cancer

Before the appointment of the operation, the patient is diagnosed and determined the nature, location of the tumor, the possibility of its complete or partial removal. Then choose the method of surgical intervention, examine other organs and systems to understand whether the patient will undergo the operation.

Among the possible methods of surgical intervention, there are ultrasound aspiration, scalpel surgery and laser microsurgery.

The operation to remove a brain tumor consists of several stages:

• trepanation (opening) of the skull. During this stage, a part of the cranial bone is removed;
• Through the formed hole, the neoplasm is removed;
• after removal of the tumor, the seized bone part is returned to the site.

Anesthesia during surgery can be complete or partial, depending on the condition of the patient.

Usually surgical treatment is used for a maternal brain tumor. To treat brain metastases, surgery is not used because of the inexpediency of surgical intervention.

Treatment of brain cancer with drugs

Chemotherapy for brain cancer (drug therapy) is used to reduce the size of the tumor and control its development.

This type of therapy is used mainly in the complex treatment of cancer in conjunction with radiotherapy. The most common antitumor drugs (antibiotics, hormonal drugs, antimetabolites, alkylating agents, etc.) used in drug therapy of oncology:

• lomustine (belustin) is a cytostatic drug of the nitrosoureas group;
• Temodal (temozolomide) - imidazotetrasin antitumor agent;
• carboplatin - an antitumor drug of the platinum group;
• natulan (procarbazine) - a strong cytostatic agent;
• cisplatin - cytotoxic drug, a derivative of platinum;
• onkovin (vincristine sulfate) is an alkaloid, an antitumor drug.

When carrying out chemotherapy, it is possible to use intra-arterial administration of drugs (to the cerebral vascular system), convection procedure (introduction of the drug directly into the tumor), spinal injection, interstitial treatment (the drug is injected into the cavity formed by resection of a cancerous tumor).

Standard and symptomatic therapy with drugs, including the use of analgesics, antibiotics, antidepressants.

Chemotherapy for Brain Cancer

Chemotherapy is usually prescribed in combination with other types of treatment: radiotherapy or tumor resection.

Before starting treatment it is important to determine the type of neoplasm and its sensitivity to cytostatic drugs. This can be done during surgery to remove the tumor, or by using a biopsy.

Medicinal preparations can be prescribed both in tablets, and in the form of droppers or bypass, depending on the severity of the disease. The course of treatment can last more than one week, and such courses are usually from 2 to 4 a year.

The effect of chemotherapy is directed at the destruction of cancer cells, which is achieved by blocking the cellular metabolism, inhibiting the ability of cells to multiply and grow. It should be noted that the effect of cytostatics affects some healthy cells of the body. This can manifest itself in the development of pathologies of the hematopoietic system, intestinal damage and alopecia.

The impact of chemotherapeutic drugs on the blood system is extensive: the process affects virtually all elements of the blood, including red and white blood cells, as well as platelets.

The consequences of chemotherapy can be as follows:

• anemia (decrease in the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin). Signs of such a condition - loss of appetite, impaired consciousness, a sense of weakness and noise in the head;
• a drop in immunity (a decrease in the number of leukocytes). There is a risk of infection;
• hemorrhagic eruptions (decrease in the number of platelets). The appearance of hematomas, small subcutaneous hemorrhages without apparent cause;
• early development of menopause in women, infertility (cytostatics inhibit ovarian function);
• disorders of the urinary system.

With drug therapy for brain cancer, one or several drugs can be used simultaneously. The most common drugs:

• Temodal is an imidazotetrazine tablet preparation used for glioblastoma, astrocytoma or glioma. Especially effective in combination with radiotherapy. The use of the drug increases the risk of developing pneumonia, digestive disorders.
• Carmustine is a drug of nitrosomethylurea, it penetrates the blood-brain barrier and is perfectly soluble in lipids, which is especially important in the treatment of brain tumors. It acts on the synthesis processes and functionality of the nucleic acid, which contributes to a change in the genetic apparatus of the cancer cell. May provoke scarring of lung tissue, cerebral edema and convulsive seizures.
• The combination of PCV - simultaneous action of three drugs (vincristine, lomustine and procarbazine) allows to achieve a cytostatic effect in the formation of resistance to other antitumor drugs. May cause side effects in the form of paresthesias, depressive psychoses, erythrocytopenia.
• Platinum-containing drugs - carboplatin, cisplatin. Cytostatic drug, close in action to alkylating agents. May cause oppression of hematopoiesis, hearing impairment.
• Biopreparations (targeted chemotherapy) - do not have a toxic effect on healthy cells, selectively affecting only malignant cells. One such drug is Avastin (Bevacizumab), which blocks the tumor of the tumor and causes the process to regress. This type of drugs is still in the research stage: the first trial treatment of patients was successfully carried out only in 2009. Therefore, it is possible that biopreparations will soon become one of the main effective means of treating brain cancer.

Fortunately, progress does not stand still, and clinical studies of new and promising drugs are carried out constantly. The purpose of such studies is to accelerate the treatment of cancer, reduce the effect of therapy on healthy body tissues, reduce the risk of side effects and complications after chemotherapy procedures.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]

Radiation therapy for brain cancer

The method of radiation therapy is quite actively used in medicine for the treatment of oncological diseases. The essence of this method is to irradiate the tumor with radioactive rays.

Cancer cells, due to their accelerated metabolism, react more quickly to radiation than healthy cells. Therefore, their growth and reproduction stop, they cease to develop and, in the end, die.

The advantage of radiation therapy is that it can be used in cases where the tumor is not subject to prompt removal for some reason.

The use of radiation exposure is possible even after resection of the tumor, in order to prevent and definitively destroy residual cancer tissues.

Sometimes radiotherapy is used to treat benign tumors, with their significant development, which is dangerous for the patient.

Radiation therapy can be radical (complete destruction of the tumor and recovery of the patient), palliative (slowing the development of the tumor to prolong the life of the patient) and symptomatic (relieving the symptoms of compression and pain).

There are several methods of radiation exposure:

• remote. Such a technique is applicable mainly for deep foci of pathology, which are affected by static or mobile (rotational) irradiation;
• superficial. Used for the location of pathology on the skin and mucous membranes. The procedure is carried out using an X-ray therapy device or an applicator with a radioactive substance;
• intracavitary. Such irradiation is applicable to hollow organs (digestive system, bladder, uterus, nasopharynx). It is performed by the sequential introduction of radioactive substances into the affected cavity;
• interstitial (brachytherapy). The essence of the procedure consists in the introduction directly into the tumor of needle or tubular elements containing a radioactive charge. It is also possible to cut the tumor with a radioactive solution.

Radiation therapy can be of two types:

• external radiotherapy. The radiation beam is directed to the tumor from the outside, thus passing through the skin, the bones of the skull, and areas of healthy brain tissue. Treatment with this method lasts 1-1.5 months with small interruptions;
• internal radiotherapy. Provides for the introduction of a radioactive capsule into the cancer tumor, which is destroyed by the radiation emitted by the capsule of radiation. Treatment can last for several days, during which the patient is in the hospital. The dosage of radioactive substances in the capsule is calculated individually for each patient.

Radiation for this type of therapy can be different, so several types of radiation are distinguished:

• application of gamma therapy. It is based on the use of gamma rays.
• application of X-ray therapy. X-rays are used, which are generated by X-ray therapy devices.
• use of beta therapy. This is electron-beam therapy, in which particles of radionuclides are used.
• application of neutron therapy. This is corpuscular therapy, based on the effects of neutron rays.
• the use of proton therapy - the use of protons to treat foci that are in close proximity to the vital areas of the brain.
• application of pi-meson therapy. Provides for irradiation with nuclear particles. This type of treatment is successfully used in the US.
• application procedure Gamma-knife. With such a therapeutic method, irradiation is carried out not by a scattered, but by a concentrated light beam. This makes it possible to shorten the exposure time and improve its effectiveness. Contraindications for this procedure are large tumors (more than 4 cm), elderly and children's age of patients.

The procedure of radiotherapy is carried out after local anesthesia and careful fixation of the head with special devices. Then, a three-dimensional diagnosis of the brain of the patient is carried out: this will allow further calculating the degree and aim of irradiation. Therapeutic procedure lasts about one hour.

Unfortunately, radiation exposure affects not only affected, but also healthy tissues, which can provoke some side effects:

• radiation burns of skin, bruises and skin erosion on the head;
• toxic effect on the body of the decay products of cancer cells, which is manifested by weakness, nausea, vomiting;
• damage to the hair follicles, which leads to loss or deterioration of hair growth;
• cerebral edema and stroke (due to increased fragility of the brain vessels).

Some side effects over time run independently, and more serious ones require medical advice and assistance.

The use of radiotherapy (therapy) ensures the death of cancer cells, suppression of their development and reproduction. This method of treatment is applicable in cases when the use of surgical intervention is impossible or contraindicated, or partial removal of the tumor is carried out. Sometimes radiotherapy is used after an operative resection to prevent the re-development of the tumor.

Radiation in radiotherapy has a directional character and affects only certain tissues to which the ray is directed, without affecting other organs and tissues.

Treatment of brain cancer by alternative means

It should be noted that the effectiveness of alternative means has no scientific confirmation, therefore these variants of prescriptions are given as general information.

• Garlic - has a strong antibiotic effect. Apply mainly in raw form: one clove three times a day before meals. The number of garlic cloves to be taken is gradually increased, bringing to ten at a time. To wash down with milk. The agent is not used in patients with gastric ulcer.
• Hemlock, dry grass. 10 hours of grass spoons are used per 300 ml of 40-70% alcohol. Insist two weeks in a dark place. Duration of taking the tincture is two months. Begin reception from one drop per day, on the second day - two drops, etc. Can be diluted in ch. Water. Do not drink liquids.
• Celandine. 1 tsp. Dry brew in 1.5 liters of boiling water. Take tea instead of tea 45 minutes before meals in the morning and at night, 200 ml for 30 days. The course can be repeated in six months.
• Sunflower, petals. Dry petals pour boiling water and take instead of tea three times a day.
• Plantain. Juice from the plant is taken under art. Spoon before eating.
• Horsetail. 50 g of dry raw materials brew in 0.5 liters of boiling water, insist for half an hour. Drink half a glass after eating.
• Burdock, root. Dry root in the amount of 25 g should be filled with 500 ml of water, boil for 20 minutes, then half an hour to insist and drink under Art. Spoon up to four times a day;
• Dandelion, root. Dry raw materials in a quantity of 15 g boil in 0.5 liters of water for 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, filter and drink 1 tbsp. L. Before meals.

Herbal preparations are better taken against the background of traditional methods of therapy, then the effect of treatment will be more palpable.

Treatment of bone marrow cancer

Oncology of the bone marrow is most often formed by metastasizing a primary tumor localized in other organs. Treatment of bone marrow cancer is quite a difficult process, requiring a certain individual approach.

Therapeutic measures in the disease begin with the conduct of chemotherapeutic procedures. The intake of cytostatic and cytotoxic drugs allows to influence the cancer, slowing its growth and development, and reducing the clinical manifestations of the disease.

The most effective and radical therapeutic method in our time is bone marrow transplantation. This technique is used when the benefits of drug therapy for malignant disease have not been confirmed. This method of surgical intervention is one of the most difficult in surgical practice. The patient is transplanted to hematopoietic stem cells, which are previously separated from the donor blood.

A bone marrow transplant can take place in two scenarios:

• allogenic type of operation - transplanting of donor tissues;
• autogenous type of operation - transplanting the patient's own stem cells.

Treatment of brain cancer in Israel

Everyone knows that Israel is famous for the rapid development of medicine and its high level. The quality of medical services in this country is one of the best in the world. Private and public health clinics and health centers that make up Israel's health system can serve both their own citizens and foreigners.

We offer you a list of the most professional and popular treatment centers in Israel.

1. Center of Medicine Ichilov - the scientific base of the University of Tel Aviv. The center's physicians perform all possible types of diagnostics and therapy of cancer, including the removal of malignant tumors, resection using the Gamma Knife device in the treatment of brain cancer. The center is designed for 1100 patients, which are serviced by more than three thousand people of personnel and about a thousand qualified professional professionals, known throughout the world.
2. Medical Center Herzliya - a multi-center, located on the Mediterranean coast near Tel Aviv. The hospital rooms are equipped at the level of a five-star hotel. Six hundred medical specialists conduct diagnostic and therapeutic procedures at the highest level, including any type of surgical intervention, organ and bone marrow transplantation, and neurosurgery. Of the external methods of irradiation, IGRT (radiotherapy with electronic imaging), IMRT (with a 3D image of tumor formation), SBRT (stereotactic radiotherapy method) are used here.
3. Rabin (Beilinson) is the oldest state hospital in Israel, in the Petah Tikva settlement. A multidisciplinary medical structure in which world scientific research is conducted every year. The clinic is also famous for a large number of successful operations on organ and bone marrow transplantation. Thirty-seven operating operating rooms, 5 thousand medical workers, almost one and a half thousand beds. Oncological diseases are successfully treated here with the help of the linear accelerator Novalis - a special device for the treatment of malignant spine and brain formations.
4. Hospital them. Shiba (Shomer) is the leading state medical center of Israel. The hospital consists of a general and rehabilitation center. It is designed for 2000 patients. In this medical institution, methods of radiology, radiosurgery, maxillofacial surgery, and rehabilitation of cancer patients are used.
5. MC Assuta - the elite of medicine in Israel, has 11 branches throughout the country. The center represents all known methods of treatment of diseases, including radiosurgical and radiation method. Such treatment is used when the tumor is located in a place inaccessible from a surgical point of view, or when resection presents any real danger to the patient. Annually, the hospital carries out about 100 000 surgical interventions, more than 230 000 diagnostic procedures.
6. Children's MCH Schneider is the only children's hospital in Israel, which provides all possible types of medical services for children of children. Surgery, neurosurgery, pediatric oncology, any diagnostic procedures - all necessary medical and preventive measures are carried out here.

The effectiveness of Israeli medicine is known all over the world. The best specialists of world medicine, professors, researchers work in the country's clinics. Moreover, the degree of service in Israeli clinics can be compared only with the best hotels: there are very high standards and the level of health care.

Malignant neoplasms are deadly diseases. Unfortunately, often the diagnosis of such diseases is carried out at those stages when it is already difficult to help the patient. However, there is always a chance, and it must be used. Modern medicine has enough opportunities and methods to treat brain cancer as successfully as possible.