Brain tumour is an overgrowth of cells, either within the brain or near it in places like nerves, the pituitary gland, and the meninges Brain tumours can be benign (non-cancerous growth or lumps that generally do not spread to other organs/tissues) or malignant (made up of cancerous cells that multiply and spread to neighbouring tissues and organs and sometimes break away and spread to many organs in the body, a process called metastasis).
The prevalence of brain tumours is variable around the world and in India. Approximately 2% of all cancers are brain cancers. The incidence rate globally is approximately 6.2 per 100,000 people per year.
While brain tumours account for a relatively small percentage of overall cancer cases in India, they are a significant cause of mortality, with over 24,000 deaths reported each year.
Brain Tumour Diagnosis Process :
Initially the doctor (typically a neurologist) will take a detailed history to understand the duration and intensity of the symptoms. They may inquire about past and current health issues, current and past medications, surgical and family history etc. This will be followed by a general physical exam and a neurological examination (neurocognitive and neuro-ophthalmological) to check for:
- Balance and coordination.
- Mental status/Awareness/Ability to follow simple commands.
- Hearing.
- Vision.
- Reflexes.
An Endocrinological assessment is also done to check the hormonal function.
Then they may ask for tests like:
- Blood tests (general and some tumour markers)
- CT scan of the Brain and/or spine
- MRI of the Brain and/or spine
- Spinal tap- collection of fluid from the spinal cord to study the cells.
Changed
08/Jun/2026
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