Brain cancer develops when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably within the brain or when cancer from another part of the body spreads to the brain. However, not every brain tumour is cancerous.
Some tumours are benign but can still affect important brain functions because of their size or location. In India, brain tumours account for approximately 2% of all cancers, with an estimated tens of thousands of new cases diagnosed each year.
At SGVP Holistic Hospital in Ahmedabad, patients with suspected brain tumours can be evaluated through its Neurosciences services, where neurosurgery, neurology, oncology, imaging, and rehabilitation may contribute to treatment planning.
What is Brain Cancer?
Brain cancer refers to malignant tumours involving the brain or central nervous system. These cancers may begin within the brain itself or spread there from another part of the body.
A primary brain tumour begins in cells within the brain or nearby structures. A secondary or metastatic brain tumour develops when cancer cells from another organ spread to the brain.
Brain tumours may also be described as benign or malignant. Benign tumours do not have the same invasive behaviour as malignant cancers. However, a benign tumour can still cause significant problems if it presses on areas controlling movement, vision, speech, breathing, or other functions.
What Are the Symptoms of Brain Cancer?
Brain cancer symptoms depend on where the tumour develops, how large it becomes, and how it affects nearby brain tissue. Symptoms may develop gradually or appear more suddenly, particularly when a tumour causes seizures, swelling, or increased pressure within the skull.
Common Symptoms of Brain Cancer
There is no single symptom that confirms a brain tumour. Possible symptoms include:
- New or progressively worsening headaches
- Seizures, especially a first unexplained seizure
- Persistent nausea or vomiting
- Blurred or double vision
- Problems with balance or walking
- Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
- Difficulty speaking or understanding language
- Changes in memory or concentration
- Unusual personality or behavioural changes
- Increasing confusion or drowsiness
Symptoms vary according to tumour location. For example, tumours affecting areas involved in movement may cause weakness, while tumours involving the cerebellum can interfere with balance and coordination.
When Do Symptoms Require Urgent Medical Attention?
Certain neurological changes require urgent medical assessment because they may indicate a serious brain disorder, whether or not cancer is the cause.
Seek prompt medical care for:
- A first seizure
- Sudden weakness or loss of coordination
- Loss of consciousness
- Severe or rapidly worsening confusion
- New difficulty speaking
- Repeated vomiting with neurological symptoms
- Rapid deterioration in alertness
A sudden neurological deficit may also have causes such as stroke, so patients should not wait for symptoms to resolve without assessment.
What Causes Brain Cancer?
The exact cause of most primary brain tumours is not known. Brain cancers develop through genetic changes that alter normal control of cell growth, but why these changes occur cannot usually be identified in an individual patient.
Some recognised risk factors include:
- Ionising radiation: Previous therapeutic radiation to the head is one of the few well-established environmental risk factors for certain central nervous system tumours.
- Inherited genetic conditions: A small proportion of brain tumours occur in people with inherited cancer-predisposition syndromes.
- Age: Different brain tumour types occur more frequently in particular age groups.
- Cancer elsewhere in the body: Cancers arising in other organs can spread to the brain and produce metastatic brain tumours.
Patients sometimes worry that everyday mobile-phone use is a proven cause of brain cancer. Large prospective evidence reported by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2024 did not find increased brain tumour occurrence among participants with the highest lifetime mobile-phone call use compared with lighter users.
What Are the Main Types of Brain Cancer?
Brain tumours include many biologically different diseases rather than one single cancer. Current classification considers the cell or tissue involved together with histological and, increasingly, molecular characteristics.
Some commonly discussed brain and central nervous system tumours include:
| Tumour Type | Where or How It Develops | General Features |
| Glioma | Develops from glial-lineage cells | Includes several distinct tumour groups |
| Glioblastoma | Aggressive adult-type diffuse glioma | Malignant and generally fast-growing |
| Astrocytoma | Associated with astrocytic lineage | Behaviour varies considerably by subtype and molecular profile |
| Oligodendroglioma | A molecularly defined diffuse glioma | Diagnosis includes characteristic genetic findings |
| Meningioma | Develops from the coverings around the brain and spinal cord | Many are lower grade, although higher-grade forms occur |
| Medulloblastoma | Primary CNS tumour, more frequent in children | Malignant tumour that can spread through the CNS |
| Metastatic brain tumour | Cancer spreads to the brain from another organ | Treatment also depends on the original cancer |
How is Brain Cancer Diagnosed?
Brain cancer diagnosis usually combines neurological assessment, brain imaging, and examination of tumour tissue when clinically appropriate. MRI is a central imaging test, while biopsy or surgically removed tissue can establish the exact tumour diagnosis.
Assessment may involve:
- Medical history and neurological examination: The doctor assesses symptoms, strength, sensation, reflexes, vision, coordination, speech, and other neurological functions.
- MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging provides detailed views of brain tissue and helps identify the tumour’s position and relationship with surrounding structures.
- CT scanning: CT may be useful in selected situations, including emergency assessment.
- Biopsy or surgery: Tissue can be examined by a neuropathologist to identify the tumour type and grade.
- Molecular testing: Certain brain tumour diagnoses now require or benefit from analysis of tumour-associated genetic and molecular alterations.
What Are the Treatment Options for Brain Cancer?
Brain cancer treatment may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted medicines, surveillance, or a combination of approaches. Treatment is selected according to tumour type, grade, molecular findings, location, symptoms, and the patient’s general condition.
1. Brain Tumour Surgery
Surgery may be used to remove tumour tissue, reduce pressure on the brain, obtain tissue for diagnosis, or remove as much of the tumour as can be done safely. Complete removal is not always possible because some tumours infiltrate or lie close to areas responsible for essential neurological functions.
During surgical planning, the team balances tumour removal against preservation of healthy brain function.
Depending on the case, treatment may involve:
- Surgical resection
- Image-guided or neuronavigation-assisted surgery
- Stereotactic biopsy
- Microsurgical techniques
- Surgery followed by radiation or medical treatment
SGVP Holistic Hospital lists brain tumour surgery and neuro-oncology among its Neurosciences services. Its brain tumour programme also describes multidisciplinary involvement in treatment planning.
2. Radiation Therapy and Medical Treatments
Radiation therapy can be used after surgery, as a primary treatment when surgery is unsuitable, or for recurrent or metastatic disease. The precise technique and treatment field depend on the tumour diagnosis and location.
Chemotherapy may also be used for selected brain cancers. Some tumours have molecular abnormalities that can guide the use of targeted treatments. Treatment decisions therefore increasingly depend on both pathology and molecular findings.
Supportive medicines may also form part of care. Corticosteroids can help control tumour-associated brain swelling in selected patients, while anti-seizure medicines may be prescribed when seizures occur.
How is Brain Cancer Treatment Chosen for Each Patient?
There is no single treatment suitable for every person with brain cancer. The clinical team considers the tumour’s biology together with its location and the patient’s neurological and overall health.
Treatment planning can depend on:
- Tumour type and grade
- Molecular characteristics
- Tumour size and location
- Whether surgery can be performed safely
- Whether cancer has spread
- Current neurological symptoms
- Age and general health
- Previous cancer treatment
- Expected effect of treatment on neurological function
Brain tumour care may require input from neurosurgeons, neurologists, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, rehabilitation specialists, and other healthcare professionals.
SGVP Holistic Hospital’s Neurosciences service similarly describes multidisciplinary neurological care involving neurosurgery, neurology, oncology, radiology, and rehabilitation.
Brain Cancer Care at SGVP Holistic Hospital
SGVP Holistic Hospital provides multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment for neurological disorders, including brain tumours. The hospital offers brain tumour surgery and neuro-oncology within its Neurosciences services.
Neurosurgical facilities offered include:
- AI-based BrainLab technology
- Neuronavigation
- Neuro microscope
- SIGNA Prime 1.5T MRI
- Modular operation theatre facilities
For patients who require neurosurgical assessment, Dr. Brijesh Panchal, MS, MCh, Consultant Neurosurgeon at SGVP Holistic Hospital, is part of the hospital’s brain tumour and Neurosciences team and specializes in neurosurgery.
SGVP Holistic Hospital is a multispeciality hospital in Ahmedabad with NABH accreditation and a capacity of more than 200 beds.
The hospital focuses on affordable and ethical cancer care aligned with international standards, along with transparent and patient-centred treatment practices. Treatment costs nevertheless depend on the diagnosis, investigations, procedure, medicines, hospital stay, and individual clinical requirements.
Recovery and Follow-Up After Brain Cancer Treatment
Recovery after brain cancer treatment varies considerably between patients. The timeline depends on the tumour’s location, treatment received, neurological condition before treatment, and the amount of rehabilitation required.
After brain tumour surgery, care may include:
- Neurological monitoring
- Pain and wound management
- Medicines to control swelling or seizures when prescribed
- Gradual mobilisation
- Physiotherapy or neurological rehabilitation
- Follow-up MRI or other imaging
- Review of the final pathology report
- Oncology consultation when additional treatment is required
Patients should contact their treating team promptly for worsening weakness, seizures, increasing confusion, persistent vomiting, wound problems, or new neurological symptoms.
Recovery should therefore be viewed as an individual process rather than a fixed number of days or weeks.
Conclusion
Brain cancer can cause headaches, seizures, weakness, changes in vision, balance problems, or cognitive and behavioural symptoms, but these signs can also occur with many other neurological conditions. Persistent or progressive symptoms therefore require medical assessment rather than self-diagnosis.
MRI and examination of tumour tissue help determine the tumour type and guide treatment. Depending on the diagnosis, brain cancer treatment may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted treatment, or combined care.
At SGVP Holistic Hospital in Ahmedabad, patients with suspected brain tumours can undergo multidisciplinary neurological and neurosurgical evaluation so that treatment decisions reflect their individual clinical findings.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single first symptom of brain cancer. Some people develop headaches, seizures, weakness, vision changes, or problems with memory and balance. The pattern depends mainly on the tumour’s location, size, growth, and effects on surrounding brain tissue.
Some brain tumours can be completely removed or successfully controlled, while others require ongoing treatment. The outcome depends on tumour type, grade, molecular characteristics, location, extent of surgical removal, response to treatment, and the patient’s overall health.
No, not all brain tumours are cancerous. Some are benign and grow relatively slowly. However, even a benign tumour may require treatment if its location or size causes pressure on the brain or interferes with important neurological functions.
Routine blood tests cannot currently diagnose most brain cancers. MRI and other imaging tests are used to identify suspicious lesions, while examination of tumour tissue remains important for many diagnoses. Blood-based liquid biopsies are still an active area of research.
Recovery time varies between patients and cannot be predicted from the operation alone. Tumour size and location, the extent of surgery, neurological symptoms, general health, and rehabilitation requirements can all affect how quickly normal activities can be resumed.
A neurologist or neurosurgeon may assess symptoms suggesting a brain tumour, depending on the clinical situation. If imaging identifies a tumour, care may also involve neuro-oncology, radiology, pathology, radiation oncology, and rehabilitation specialists for multidisciplinary treatment planning.
