Some of the different types of brain cancer that may require brain surgery include:
- Gliomas - glial cells make up the supportive tissue of the brain, and don't conduct electrical impulses. Glioma is a broad term used to describe brain tumors associated with the three types of glial cell, which include the astrocyte, oligodendrocyte and the ependymal cell.
- Pituitary tumor - cancer of the pituitary gland, such as craniopharyngioma.
- Acoustic neuroma or schwannoma - a type of benign tumor that grows in the canal connecting the brain to the inner ear.
- Medulloblastoma - a type of cancer that originates in the brain and can migrate down the spinal cord.
- Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET) - an abnormal tissue growth in the brain that may or may not be cancerous.
- Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) ) - a general term referring to abnormal tissue growths of the brain.
- Lymphomas - cancers of the lymphatic system.
- Chordomas- tumours that originate in particular parts of the skeleton including the skull.
- Metastases or secondary tumours - metastasis means cells, which have moved from one part of the body to another.
- Physical examination
- Medical history
- CT scan
- MRI scans.
A craniotomy is an operation to open the skull in order to access the brain for surgical repair. The patient is put under general anaesthesia. The hair on the scalp is shaved. A neurosurgeon performs the craniotomy by first cutting through the scalp over the area where the brain injury is thought to lie. A hole is then cut into the skull in order to access the brain. This is needed to repair any ruptured blood vessels and to remove the blood clot or growth.
After the operation is finished, the piece of bone that was removed is replaced, the muscle and skin are stitched up and a drain is placed inside the brain to remove any excess blood left from the surgery. Some of the possible complications following craniotomy include allergic reaction to the anaesthetic, bleeding, infection, brain damage, brain swelling, stroke and seizures.