OVER 2,500 INDIAN KIDS
SUFFER FROM BRAIN TUMOUR EVERY YEAR
With a surge in the brain related ailments in
the world, every year over 2,500 of the Indian children suffer from
medulloblastoma, a pediatric malignant primary brain tumour which spreads
through the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and frequently metastasize to different
locations along the surface of the brain and spinal cord, doctors have said.According
to them, in India, every year 40,000-50,000 persons are diagnosed with brain
tumour. Of these 20 per cent are children. Until a year ago, the figure was
only somewhere around 5 per cent.The doctors said that if the cases are
detected early, then 90 per cent of the medulloblastoma cases are curable,
provided the treatment protocol is followed correctly.
“Twenty per cent of the brain tumour cases
currently consist of children, which has increased over the years. Mostly the
symptoms include repeated episodes of vomiting, and a morning headache, which
may lead to a misdiagnosis of gastrointestinal disease or migraine,” said Vikas
Gupta, Director and head of Neurosurgery and Interventional and Endovascular
Neurosurgery at BLK Hospital here.Brain Tumour Foundation of India says that
brain tumour is the second most common cancer among children after leukaemia.Explaining
further, Mr. Guptae said: “The child will develop a stumbling gait, frequent
falls, diplopia, papilledema, and sixth cranial nerve palsy. Positional
dizziness and nystagmus are also frequent and facial sensory loss or motor
weakness may be present. Decerebrate attacks appear late in the disease.”The
health experts have also said that if the treatment is done in time, the
children can live up to 70-80 years without any problem.
Satnam Singh Chhabra, head of Neuro and Spine
Department at Sir Gangaram Hospital, said: “Brain damage not just in children
but as a whole can be a serious problem. It can cause problems with thinking,
seeing, or speaking. It can also cause personality changes or seizures.”Talking
about the causes, he said: “A small percentage of brain tumours are linked to
genetic disorders and known environmental hazards, such as exposure to certain
toxins or radiations.”According to the official data, currently only six per
cent of the children suffering from brain tumours are able to get the proper
treatment.Shailesh Jain, Senior Consultant Neuro Surgery at Saroj Super
Specialty Hospital, said: “Sometimes surgery is not possible, especially if the
tumour is in the brain stem or certain other areas. People who can’t have
surgery may receive radiation therapy or other treatment.”“Radiation therapy
kills brain tumour cells with high-energy x-rays, gamma rays, or protons.
Radiation therapy usually follows surgery but sometimes people who can’t have
surgery have radiation therapy instead,” he said.
Prof. John Kurakar
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