Brain tumors are abnormal proliferations of brain tissue cells and/or their coverings (primary tumors) or of cells originating from tumors located in other areas of the body (secondary tumors or metastases).

Primary brain tumors can be malignant or benign.

  • A malignant tumor, also called brain cancer, grows rapidly and often invades healthy areas of the brain.
  • Benign tumors do not contain cancer cells and are usually slow growing.

Signs and symptoms depend mostly on the location of the tumor and its size. The most common are headaches, nausea, vomiting and neurological deficits, such as loss of strength or sensation in half of the body, or slurred speech.

The diagnosis of this pathology is based on the symptoms reported by the patient, the findings in the neurological examination performed by the neurologist and the imaging tests(CT and/or MRI). Sometimes it will be necessary to perform a brain biopsy to take a sample of tumor tissue and analyze it under the microscope. This test will provide greater certainty as to the nature of the tumor.

The recommended treatment depends on the size and type of tumor, the speed of growth, and the patient’s general health.

The main treatment options are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, or a combination of these. The aim of surgery is to remove most of the tumor with the least possible damage to viable tissue. There are less aggressive techniques such as radiosurgery, which in some cases make it possible to act on the tumor with great precision without affecting the surrounding tissues.

The diagnosis and treatment of this pathology is carried out by a multidisciplinary team made up of neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, medical oncologists and radiotherapists.