Brain tumour

We do everything we can to treat brain tumours individually in the best possible way

A brain tumour is a space requirement in the brain that can have different causes. A distinction is made here between tumour cysts, well-defined tumours, and also tumours that originate from the brain tissue itself. Many of these tumours are benign and can be cured by means of complete surgical removal. But we also have many therapeutic options available for malignant tumours today. The most frequent brain tumours include gliomas, meningiomas and metastases.At Schoen Clinic, we discuss each individual case as part of an interdisciplinary tumour conference. To do this, we cooperate with specialists from neighbouring specialist clinics. Neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiation therapists, oncologists, radiologists and pathologists jointly develop an individual treatment concept for you.

Causes & symptoms

What is a brain tumour?

A brain tumour (intracranial neoplasia) can develop from the cells of the nervous system itself. Sometimes, however, tumours of other organs also spread into the brain as metastases. Depending on the growth pattern of the cells, the tumours are more or less well differentiated from the healthy brain tissue. In order to make an exact diagnosis, the tumour tissue must be examined by a neuropathologist. Surgical therapy alone is not sufficient for certain tumours. In this case, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy are used in addition.

Causes: How does a brain tumour occur?

Several factors probably interact during the development of a brain tumour. Besides a possible predisposition, there are also other influences that have not been investigated in detail. If, for example, a patient develops a tumour many years after head irradiation, there may be a connection.

A brain tumour can also develop as a metastasis of an existing tumour centre, such as in breast cancer.

Symptoms: Indications of a brain tumour

The symptoms differ as widely as the growth patterns of the individual brain tumours. They depend above all on the localisation of the tumour.

Possible symptoms can be:

Headache
Dizziness
Nausea and vomiting
Personality changes
Signs of paralysis
Epileptic seizures
Visual disturbances
Speech disorders

Diagnostics

Diagnosis: How a brain tumour is detected

If a brain tumour is suspected, imaging of the brain must be conducted. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is suitable for particularly accurate imaging of the brain. It is supplemented by the administration of contrast medium. Special sequences can also be used to depict the various functional areas and associated pathways of the brain (functional MRI/tractography). This allows the position of a tumour in relation to important areas in the brain to be made visible. At Schoen Clinic, a three-dimensional image of the brain is created from the MRI data using special computer software. This image is used to plan neuronavigated surgery. This enables us to perform brain surgery with particular precision and safety.

Biopsy in the event of greater suspicion

If the MRI shows a structure that raises suspicion of a tumour, a biopsy can provide further clarity. Following prior planning, a small tissue sample can be taken from the brain with millimetre precision. In the vast majority of cases, this is sufficient to diagnose the exact type of tumour. We have an array of different treatment options available here at Schoen Clinic. A biopsy can be taken in a neuronavigated or robot-assisted procedure. Depending on the location and size of a brain tumour, we select the optimal procedure on an individual basis.