World Brain Tumour Day today: Experts to highlight new treatments available in public sector

LAHORE: Like other parts of the world, the Punjab government and private institutions have finalised their plans for organizing seminars and workshops to mark the World Brain Tumor Day in the provincial capital on Monday (today).

According to Executive Director of the Punjab Institute of Nureo Sciences (PINS) Prof Khalid Mahmood, the brain tumor is one of those uncommon ailments that can be death-dealing. However, despite being an atypical condition overall, the brain tumor stands at the 10th most common tumor. Worldwide, it affects about two percent of people, he added.

"Apart from creating general awareness among the people on this day, we will let our citizens know about the new diagnostic and treatment expertise we have brought in for poor people in the public sector," Mahmood said in a statement on Sunday.

He said that out of these one third are malignant and two third are non-malignant. "We do not have exact incidence of these tumours in Pakistan as we do not have central tumor registry for our population".

It is not exactly known what causes these tumours. However there is increased risk in certain rare genetic syndromes and childhood exposure to radiation. Certainly if father or a brother has brain tumour, there is no increased risk in children or rest of family members.

Prof. Khalid said that Brain tumours can present with headaches, problem with vision, epilepsy, stroke, personality changes and drowsiness. If not diagnosed early, may lead to comatose condition.

He further told that, now days it is very easy to diagnose these tumors with a contrast CT scan of Brain which is widely available. Sometimes we have to do MRI scan of brain which gives better details of tumor size, location and its exact relation with blood vessels and eloquent parts of brain like speech, arm, face, leg areas. 3 Tesla MRI in Public Sector of Pakistan is Functional at PINS Lahore General Hospital with functional and DTI imaging which has given new dimension to eleqarea tumour surgery.

There are 100 different types of brain tumours and not every tumour is cancerous. Different types of brain tumours present in different age groups from childhood to old age. Tumours can either arise from brain primarily or spread to it from rest of body. However tumours arising from brain do not spread to other parts of body.

Prof. Khalid further stated that a Neurosurgeon should operate in a way as to steal away tumour from brain during surgery, meaning that rest of brain should remain undisturbed and there should be no/ minimal external evidence of surgery!

Most of the diagnostic and operative facilities are available at Lahore General Hospital. LGH have also started painless but awake Brain tumour surgery at PINS so that surgeon stops removing a tumour as soon as there is early weakness in arm on difficulty with speech he concluded.