They usually grow slow and, therefore, may not cause obvious symptoms and are sometimes found during tests for other conditions. The basic symptoms include:
- Headache
- Weakness in arm or leg
- Seizures (fits)
- Personality changes
- Visual problems
- Numbness
It’s rare for Meningioma to be diagnosed before they begin to cause any symptoms. The doctor will ask about the patient’s personal and family medical history and perform a complete medical exam...
It’s rare for Meningioma to be diagnosed before they begin to cause any symptoms. The doctor will ask about the patient’s personal and family medical history and perform a complete medical exam. The diagnostic imaging may include:
As meningioma grows slowly in most cases, patients with small meningioma with less or no symptoms should be scanned at regular intervals to see the growth pattern. Surgery can be avoided in case the tumour is not growing.
In most cases, if a tumour is causing symptoms, then surgery will be the most preferred option. Complete removal of the tumour is the main aim, as this allows the best chance for the least recurrence of the tumour, increased patient survival time and complete disappearance of symptoms.
Although total removal is the best cure, it might not always be possible to perform the surgery because of the tumour location. If the tumour cannot be totally removed, radiation can help in further treatment. For the surgery, a craniotomy is performed (craniotomy is cut in the skull to expose the tumour). After the tumour is removed, brain tissue can re-expand in the cavity.
The main aim of radiation is to kill the cancer cells while minimising the damage to the surrounding brain cells. In this, the DNA of the cells is damaged so that they cannot divide and reproduce. It uses high-energy rays to destroy the cancer cells. Radiations are given in the following cases:
It is the use of anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells. However, it is rarely used to treat meningioma.
In general, the people that have this disease are at an increased risk for additional medical problems and reoccurrence of cancer or worsening of their symptoms. So, they need to follow up with the doctor at regular intervals.