Neuro-oncologists Dr. James Perry and Dr. Sarah Ironside share four things you should know about brain tumours.

Malignant versus non-malignant

Brain tumours are made up of collections of abnormal cells. The speed at which the cells divide and mutate is what makes the tumour malignant (cancerous) or non-malignant. Genetically unstable tumours, in which the cells mutate more and quicker, are more aggressive and therefore are deemed malignant. These tumours are more likely to invade surrounding tissues or spread, and make up about 40 per cent of primary brain tumours (tumours that start in the brain).

About 60 per cent of primary brain tumours are non-malignant. In these tumours, the cells divide more slowly and have less genetic mutation with each cell division.

“But most tumours in the brain, even if slow-growing, might be treated with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation or a combination, so non-malignant tumours that are growing are dangerous too,” said Dr. Perry.

There are upwards of 300 types and subtypes of brain tumours, classified by the way that they divide and where they are in the brain.

Brain metastases – cancer that has spread to the brain from other parts of the body – is 20 times more common than primary brain tumours.

The doctors and pathologists look at images of the brain and the cells that are removed during surgery to determine what kind of tumour it is.

Know these symptoms and signs

Seizures are the most common symptom of a brain tumour in adults.

“A seizure is what typically brings someone to seek medical attention,” said Dr. Ironside.

Other symptoms include:

• Severe, unrelenting headache, often accompanied by nausea or vomiting.
• Vision changes
• Behaviour changes

Anyone experiencing the above symptoms should seek medical attention. While these symptoms don’t necessarily mean a tumour is involved, they can indicate other health issues and should be investigated by your healthcare team.

Symptoms of brain tumours in kids and teens are different than in adults. For more information, check out Head Smart.

Age increases risk

As we age, it increases our risk for developing a brain tumour.

Prior radiation to the head is the main known risk factor.

Contrary to popular belief, “family history, lifestyle choices, cellphone usage — none of those have been found to affect risk,” said Dr. Perry.

And while different types of brain tumours affect men and women more commonly, the overall risk between sexes is the same.

Many brain tumours respond well to treatment

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are all used to manage brain tumours.

There are also new treatments being tested with clinical trials and new technologies being developed to provide new and better ways to treat both primary and secondary tumours in the brain, Dr. Ironside said.

“The Gamma Knife Icon is now being used for brain metastases, and focused ultrasound and the MR-Linac are all new technologies that show promise in treating this disease,” she said. “And even more research is needed so that we can find a cure for these often aggressive tumours.”

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It’s a first in Canada, and huge step forward for patients with brain tumours. Specialists at Sunnybrook can now treat multiple tumours at once without surgery and discomfort for the patient. And it can happen in less than one hour. Learn more about the Gamma Knife Icon and how it’s impacting patients in the video above.

Read a Q and A with one of the lead doctors.

The post Gamma Knife Icon enhances treatment for some cancer patients appeared first on Your Health Matters.

“We try to make the most of things,” Dr. Perry explains. “We know that time may be limited but that’s no reason to stop living. So we celebrate that. Every good scan we have a little party or a high-five or a hug. Hugs are common in our clinic. There’s much more happiness than people would expect.”

It’s that happiness has kept Dr. Perry, neuro-oncologist and head of Sunnybrook’s Neurology Program, at Sunnybrook for 20 years. A neuro-oncologist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours of the nervous system (brain and spine). These include primary brain tumours, like glioblastomas, and metastatic brain tumours, which spread to the brain from other parts of the body. When Dr. Perry’s mentors encouraged him to look into the field of work, there was no neuro-oncologist in Toronto.

“These patients and their families need a voice, an advocate, a researcher,” Dr. Perry said. “We want to provide the best care possible and also invent the future of care.”

And the father of four is doing just that — he’s heavily involved in global research trials that have been making a difference in brain tumour treatment for decades.

“In my first year of practice, one of my young patients entered into a clinical trial, one of the first trials ever done here at Sunnybrook,” he recalls. “She outlived every patient in the worldwide trial. She sends me a Christmas card every year and updates me what’s been going on with her life.”

Dr. Perry says stories like this remind him that this cancer can be cured, even if those instances are rare.

Dr. James Perry (right) at a press conference to discuss Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie’s diagnosis of a brain tumour.

Of course, there are still many very hard days. Those tougher days help push him forward in his research.

Dr. Perry says he’s excited about some truly groundbreaking research going on at Sunnybrook, including blood-brain barrier disruption, which may allow drugs to be delivered to the previously unreachable part of the brain.

He’s also working to develop a Cancer and Cognition Clinic, which will involve a team of doctors and other healthcare professionals and examine how memory and thinking are affected from cancer and its treatment.

A team player, Dr. Perry helped start the Canadian Brain Tumour Consortium, a network of researchers and doctors who work together to advance treatments.

“It’s a collegial way of looking at new therapies instead of competing to see who finishes research first,” he says. “It’s a proud moment.”

And when patients come to him to show him photos of their graduation, or another birthday with their grandchildren, or another summer’s day up at the cottage, Dr. Perry is humbled and proud.

“I’m so grateful for those happy moments,” he says.

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