How long can you live after surgery for advanced brain cancer

Brain cancer is a general term for benign and malignant brain tumors, including at least dozens of tumors. Therefore, the survival period of patients after brain tumor surgery varies. The following briefly introduces the survival period of patients through several common intracranial tumors.

First, it is a brain glioma, which is the most common primary brain tumor, accounting for about 45% of patients. Brain gliomas can be divided into grades I, II, III, and IV. The higher the grade, the worse the prognosis, and each grade of glioma has a different life span due to different pathological types. Grade I gliomas can be cured by surgery, and patients can survive for a long time. The average life span of grade II astrocytoma is 7 to 10 years, and the average life span of grade II oligodendroglioma is 10 to 15 years; the average life span of grade III anaplastic astrocytoma is 3.5 years; the average life span of anaplastic oligodendroglioma is 10 years. The average life span of grade IV glioblastoma, which is the most malignant, is only 14.6 months.

Second, it is meningioma, which is generally a benign tumor. If it is completely removed by surgery, it can provide a long-term survival. However, meningiomas in certain locations are more risky and difficult to completely remove. After surgery, it is easy to recur in situ or the tumor will grow again. The risk of reoperation is even higher, which will have a certain impact on the survival period. Some reports show that the average survival period after meningioma surgery is 9 years, but our suggestion is that it needs to be determined according to the location, size and pathological type of the meningioma. The average survival period of some malignant meningiomas may be very short.

Third, pituitary adenoma accounts for about 15-20%, most of which are benign, and complete removal of the tumor can achieve a cure. Fourth, neurothecoma, which accounts for about 10% of intracranial tumors. Once the neurothecoma is diagnosed, it is surgically removed. The effect after the operation is good, the symptoms disappear completely, and the patient recovers. Fifth, congenital tumors account for about 12%, and craniopharyngioma is generally more common. The patient's prognosis is related to the size, location, and recurrence of the tumor. Intracranial malignant tumors grow rapidly and are generally difficult to cure. But it is not absolute. Some benign tumors are difficult to completely remove due to their deep location or adhesion or wrapping with important structures. Some malignant brain tumors that are not in important functional areas may be cured and survive for a long time through extended resection.

Even for the same type of tumor, the survival period of patients may vary greatly due to differences in tumor size, location, patient physical condition, tumor pathological grading and classification, degree of surgical resection, and selection of follow-up treatment options such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In addition, the patient's mentality after surgery is very important and they should maintain a happy mood to enhance immunity and self-resistance.