Hearing the words “brain tumor” makes most people think an operation is unavoidable. In this video Prof. Dr. A. F. M. Momtazul Haque explains why that is not always true.
Tumors found by chance (“incidentalomas”)
The usual symptoms of a brain tumor are headache, vomiting, seizures or loss of consciousness. But sometimes a CT scan or MRI done for another reason — for example after a head injury — shows a small tumor in a person who has no symptoms at all. Doctors call this an incidentaloma.
When it is safe to wait
- A small pituitary tumor without symptoms: it can be observed with regular follow-up. If it never grows, it never needs an operation.
- Vestibular schwannoma (a tumor of the hearing nerve): these are slow-growing and may enlarge by only a millimetre or two a year. In a 50-year-old, the growth over the next 30 years may be very small, so surgery is not advised just because the tumor is seen.
In such cases the patient is asked to wait and have a follow-up MRI every 6 months or 1 year. Surgery is discussed only if the tumor suddenly grows or starts causing symptoms.
“We don’t treat the MRI — we treat the patient”
Whatever the MRI or CT shows, the decision also depends on whether the patient has symptoms, their life expectancy and other illnesses (co-morbidities). Only a neurosurgeon, weighing all of these, can decide whether an operation is needed.
This article is for general awareness only; it is not a substitute for direct medical advice.
