Brain tumour tissue bank opened in Glasgow

Though brain tumours in children are rare they can be devastating in their consequences. Hydrocephalus is frequently present in children with brain tumours and may require lifelong surveillance and treatment long after the brain tumour has been successfully cured. This article attempts to describe hydrocephalusExcess levels of fluid within the brain. and its treatment in children who have brain tumours.

The aim of neurosurgery has always been to gain the maximal benefit for the patient with the minimum amount of risk. Neurosurgery can be used to treat back, neck, leg and arm pain following a thorough assessment by a neurosurgeon. In most cases further tests will be ordered to assess which nervesBundles of fibres that carry information in the form of electrical impulses. are involved in the pain and this is usually an MRIAn abbreviation for magnetic resonance imaging, a technique for imaging the body that uses electromagnetic waves and a strong magnetic field. scan of the spine.

The Gamma Knife® is a machine designed to deliver radiationEnergy in the form of waves or particles, including radio waves, X-rays and gamma rays. in a very precise manner by targeting hundreds of pinpointed beams of radiation directly at the tumourAn abnormal swelling.. This is a non-invasiveAny test or technique that does not involve penetration of the skin. The term 'non-invasive' may also describe tumours that do not invade surrounding tissues. and non-surgical treatment for brain conditions.

The CyberKnife® System is a robotic radiosurgery instrument that is revolutionising the way cancers are treated. It was developed by John Adler, a neurosurgeon from Stanford University in the 1990’s as a way of extending radiosurgery from the head to include the rest of the body. CyberKnife® is in clinical use throughout the world with over 100,000 patient treatments conducted.

Cancers can arise from any cellThe basic unit of all living organisms. in the body and therefore can take any form. When cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. forms a single solid tumourAn abnormal swelling. or mass, surgery can be straightforward, but what about when the cancer invades around other essential tissues and organs – especially in the head and neck? Many tumours, particularly of the head and neck have previously been effectively inoperable, and so major changes in treatment approach were needed.