Sarcoma of the brain
What is a sarcoma of the brain?
Unfortunately, a person of any age is susceptible to such a dangerous disease as sarcoma of the brain. Statistics say that the percentage of detection of brain sarcoma among the total number of oncological pathologies ranges from 0.6% to 2%.
The insidiousness of this disease lies in its late clinical manifestation. Usually, a person is forced to see a doctor because of the rapidly increasing discomfort, severe headaches and deterioration in general health. But this happens when the sarcoma of the brain is already at stages 2-3.
Content:
- Types of sarcoma of the brain
- Causes and symptoms of cerebral sarcoma
- Diagnosis and classification of brain sarcoma
- Modern methods of treatment of brain sarcoma
Types of sarcoma of the brain
An oncological neoplasm that develops in the brain tissue and membrane is called a sarcoma. The disease begins with the appearance of a specific node in the brain.
The characteristic hallmarks of cerebral sarcoma are:
- fuzziness and blurring of the boundaries of the malignant and healthy tissue sites;
- aggression towards nearby cells;
- the ability to quickly defeat adjacent structures.
Sarcoma is classified as a vascular-membrane disease and two types of its localization are distinguished:
- intracerebral, which does not have clearly defined boundaries, and is capable of rapid invasive growth and damage to adjacent tissues;
- extracerebral, having more or less delineated boundaries, but capable of growing into the brain tissue. In addition to the brain itself, it affects adjacent tissues and is characterized by high aggression, frequent relapses and metastasis. It is characterized by a low survival rate, about 30-35% within two years. It is important here not to confuse sarcoma with meningioma, a benign neoplasm, so as not to waste precious time for quick treatment.
Causes and symptoms of cerebral sarcoma
In order to detect this formidable disease at an early stage, attention should be paid to the appearance of frequent unexplained headaches, which always precede more serious subsequent symptoms, such as:
- incoordination of movements and dizziness, vomiting;
- manifestation of epileptic seizures;
- mental disorders and behavioral disorders;
- short-term visual dysfunction and possible complete atrophy of the optic nerve against the background of increased intracranial pressure;
- frequent loss of consciousness;
- increased indicators of intracranial pressure;
- partial and general paralysis.
It is noteworthy that the localization of the tumor also predetermines specific distinctive symptoms. For example, if the sarcoma is located in the occipital part of the brain, the patient's vision suffers, first of all, and if the temporal lobe is affected, hearing dysfunction is revealed. If there is damage to the parietal or frontal parts of the brain, this is manifested by a lack of motor activity, tactile sensitivity, as well as degradation of the patient's intellect. Well, if the pituitary gland is also involved in the pathological process, then even the hormonal balance of the body may change.
Until now, scientists in the field of oncopathology cannot come to a consensus on the causes of the development of cerebral sarcoma. So far, such versions as craniocerebral head injuries, an unfavorable environmental component, as well as an unhealthy lifestyle with the influence of harmful addictions are being put forward.
Diagnosis and classification of brain sarcoma
If you have one or more symptoms that signal a possible cancer, you must immediately be examined by a neurologist. In addition, it is necessary to carry out a computed tomography and ultrasound examination, to do a scintigraphy. The most accurate diagnostic method is magnetic resonance imaging, which can reveal not only the localization of the tumor, but also the dynamics of the oncological process, as well as the volume of the affected area. All these methods are classified as non-invasive diagnostics.
Diagnostic methods of the invasive type include measuring the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid, or cerebrospinal fluid, as well as its cytological examination. However, X-ray contrast angiography and immunochemical examination can be performed. For an affirmative diagnosis, a puncture biopsy is performed, which is the most accurate method for diagnosing cerebral sarcoma.
Depending on the forming structures, pathological changes in the brain in sarcoma are of three types:
- Meningosarcoma is a tumor that forms in the meninges and contains pathologically altered vessels. Such vessels lack the usual capsule and rapidly grow into adjacent tissues;
- Angioreticulosarcoma is a tumor that develops from the vascular walls of the brain. It has a large number of capillaries, whereby rapid metastasis occurs;
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Fibrosarcoma is a neoplasm that originates in fibrous tissues. Despite the fact that this type of tumor progresses much more slowly than meningo- and angioreticulosarcoma, it is aggravated by constant severe headaches and growing symptoms of a neurological type.
Modern methods of treatment of brain sarcoma
The success of the treatment depends entirely on how early a brain tumor is detected.
At the first stage of treatment, the neoplasm is removed, if there are no contraindications to this. And they can be the patient's weakness, old age, as well as the location of the tumor that is difficult for surgical intervention.
Although surgical treatment of cerebral sarcoma is one of the most effective methods, it is not always possible to resort to it due to the large size of the tumor. In the process of excision of a large neoplasm, parts of the brain that are very important for the patient's full life can be affected, which will inevitably lead to disability or death of the patient.
Indications for palliative treatment are also the case when the tumor intersects with areas of the brain that control vital body functions. And if earlier such circumstances always presupposed a death sentence for the patient, now with the help of modern methods, such as the "gamma knife" and "cyber knife", saving the lives of patients with cerebral sarcoma has become commonplace.
These methods are non-invasive, that is, they do not require surgery. Although this type of treatment is based on radiosurgery, its distinctive feature is that ionizing rays are directed exclusively at the tumor tissue and do not affect healthy brain cells.
Modern methods of treating cerebral sarcoma significantly increase the survival rate of patients and ensure their further full life.
The author of the article: Bykov Evgeny Pavlovich | Oncologist, surgeon
Education: graduated from residency at the Russian Scientific Oncological Center. N. N. Blokhin "and received a diploma in the specialty" Oncologist"
