Brain tumors are among the most feared medical problems. If you an an adult with a brain tumor, this INFOMED will give you an idea as to your prognosis.
While there are many types of brain tumors, the main issue is whether the tumor is malignant (capable of spreading rapidly) or benign. Malignant brain tumors, with few exceptions are fatal. Nonetheless, aggressive treatment can extend life by months and in some cases years. Not only is surgery possible, but new advances in radiation therapy enable doctors to give highly focused treatments to shrink the tumor without affecting surrounding tissue. Furthermore, even if a malignant brain tumor is fatal, treatment can be palliative - meaning that it can reduce symptoms. For example, an expanding brain tumor can cause severe headaches, inability to walk and decreased mental function. Thus treatment may be warranted, even if life span may not be increased significantly.
Benign tumors are often treated also. This is because if they grow - even slowly - they can also cause symptoms such as headaches, inability to walk and decreased mental function. Usually, they are not fatal.
In order to get the most information from this INFOMED, you should know what type of tumor you have and its Grade. Even if you don't know this, you will still obtain useful information although it may not be as accurate.
