Posts Tagged ‘prognostic factors in brain tumors’
How to Diagnosis of Brain Tumor?
How is brain tumor diagnosed?
Suspecting a brain tumor, the imaging technique to be recommended is the MRI because it has better anatomic definition than CT and more precisely defines brain tumors.
The definitive diagnosis is made pathologically after resection or biopsy of the tumor. The latter must always be done if the tumor is unresectable or inoperable. It is true that in some cancer sites such as the brainstem biopsy is not recommended for the serious consequences that may result from it.
In cases of lung cancer, especially small cell melanoma and renal tumors is performed MRI to rule out brain metastases before starting the primary tumor treatment by the high probability of spreading to the brain.
There is a known metabolic PET scan (positron emission tomography) that is capable of measuring the behavior of the tumor (more or less aggressive) by the addition of glucose or other labeled molecules. In this diagnostic phase may be useful in directing biopsy to an area of high-grade features, or where biopsy is contraindicated in addition to information provided by brain MRI.
What are known prognostic factors in brain tumors?
The prognosis of patients with brain tumors are inversely correlated with age and histological grade and directly related to the patient’s clinical situation. Some molecular markers have been identified as prognostic factors (eg 1p19q deletion in oligodendrogliomas).