How long can you live with a brain tumor

Many people are terrified when it comes to brain tumors. The general perception is that having a tumor means having cancer and there is no possibility of survival. But in fact, tumors can be divided into benign and malignant, and the danger level varies depending on where they grow. If it is a benign tumor and the growth site is not in the main brain stem area, the development of the disease can be controlled as long as it is discovered and treated in time. Please see the details below.

1. Benign brain tumors mainly refer to all benign intracranial tumors, which in the field of neurosurgery mainly include meningioma, pituitary tumor, craniopharyngioma, acoustic neuroma, arachnoid cyst, etc. Generally speaking, these tumors are classified as grade one according to the World Health Organization. If they can be completely removed by surgery, the patient can reach the normal life span and achieve complete cure. If the tumor cannot be completely removed, as in this case, it is likely to recur in 5-10 years, and the survival time may be 10-20 years shorter than that of the average person.

2. It depends on the type of brain tumor. For example, there are differences between glioma and astrocytoma. If the malignancy is high, the survival period is not long. If the malignancy is very high, the survival period is half a year. If the malignancy is low, you can survive for a long time after surgery. Clinically, most brain tumor patients are diagnosed in the middle or late stages. This is mainly because the early symptoms are not obvious. The survival period of patients with malignant brain tumors mainly depends on whether the treatment method is appropriate and the patient's physical condition.

3. For mid- to late-stage malignant brain tumors, surgical resection is almost impossible, and most clinical treatments are radiotherapy, chemotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment is one of the commonly used treatment methods for middle and late stage malignant brain tumors. It has a more direct killing effect on cancer. However, since radiotherapy for malignant brain tumors will inevitably damage normal cells, the irradiation intensity, irradiation range, and irradiation time should be carefully selected according to the overall condition. For patients with mid- to late-stage malignant brain tumors who have a wide range of metastasis, weak physical functions, and difficulty tolerating chemotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine can be used for conservative treatment. Although the short-term effect is not as obvious as chemotherapy, the long-term effect is good, and it plays a significant role in improving the quality of life and prolonging survival.

4. Some patients can be diagnosed with the disease in the early stages, in which case their survival period will be longer. For patients with early-stage malignant brain tumors, how long they can live depends mainly on whether appropriate treatment is taken in a timely manner. Early stage malignant brain tumors are relatively small and should be surgically removed if located in a suitable location. If it is difficult to remove the cancerous part, radiotherapy can be performed first, and then surgical removal can be performed after the cancer becomes smaller.