MANILA, Philippines?A malignant brain tumor is one of the most chilling diagnoses a patient and his or her family can ever receive. A tumor is an abnormal growth caused by cells that reproduce uncontrollably. Unlike tumors in other parts of the body, a brain tumor?even when it is composed of benign or harmless cells?is still considered malignant if the tumor is located in a vital area of the highly complex and delicate organ.

?Most of the damage inflicted by brain tumors is due to their size and location,? said Dr. Manuel Mariano, director of the International Institute for Neurosciences at St. Luke?s Medical Center.

Confined within the skull, a tumor presses on and displaces the brain, exerting pressure that may damage or destroy delicate brain tissue. Many of the symptoms of a brain tumor are caused by this pressure. Sometimes, a tumor may cause blockage of fluid that flows around and through the brain, creating more pressure.

Some brain tumors also cause swelling due to accumulation of fluid. Size, pressure and swelling all create a dangerous ?mass effect.? As a result, most brain tumor patients complain of headache (usually just after waking and lessening as the day goes on); vomit (usually just after waking, with or without nausea); exhibit mental changes (often sluggishness or drowsiness) and uncoordinated, clumsy movements; and suffer seizures.

Multidisciplinary approach

St. Luke?s Comprehensive Brain Tumor Center provides a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to the care, treatment and cure of adults and children with brain and spinal cord tumors, as well as patients with systematic cancer who develop neurological complications as a result of treatment. Its Brain Tumor Board is composed of experts and specialists in neurology, neurosurgery, nuclear medicine, neuropathology, psychiatry, pain management, rehabilitation and nursing. The center is the first facility of its kind in the Philippines.

Because the right treatment begins with an accurate diagnosis, the center?s multidisciplinary team implements an exhaustive history and complete physical and neurological examination of the patient. It utilizes essential diagnostic procedures with advanced imaging technology and equipment, such as Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Stereotactic Biopsy and Neuropathology Confirmation.

Armed with a clear picture of the patient?s condition, the center?s team of specialists discusses the best treatment with the most updated treatment protocols as well as possible alternative treatment options. The patient?s family participates in conferences where various treatment options are explained and discussed.

Best possible patient mgt.

With cutting-edge treatment options, innovative surgical techniques and specially designed units at its disposal, the center?s multidisciplinary team is able to provide the best possible patient management. These include chemotherapy, radiotherapy (Linear Accelerator/IMRT and Brachytherapy), stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy, surgery (SRS) and image-guided neurosurgery.

?SRS is the noninvasive delivery of a precise dose of high-energy radiation to a lesion located within the skull, head, or neck,? Dr. Mariano explains. It is a widely accepted alternative to surgery in cases where lesions, vascular malformations, or tumors (benign or malignant) are located in difficult-to-reach anatomical areas or near critical structures of the brain. St. Luke?s pioneered SRS in the Philippines more than a decade ago.

?SRS requires no incision and has none of the complications, substantial recovery time, and costs associated with craniotomy [surgical opening of the skull],? Dr. Mariano notes.

Advanced SRS system

St. Luke?s has the most advanced SRS system available, the BrainLAB BrainScan Conformal SRS. This state-of-the-art equipment offers precise radiation targeting and dosing, thereby effectively minimizing radiation exposure to normal tissues and adjacent healthy organs.

Optimal management, however, does not end with treatment. Thus, the center provides a comprehensive range of supportive care services consisting of specialized nursing facilities, speech and motor rehabilitation, consultation liaison psychiatry, pain management, and nutrition.

Indeed, St. Luke?s Comprehensive Brain Tumor Center lives up to its name.

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