Wockhardt Launches Brain Tumor Program

Bangalore, India, October 20, 2007 --(PR.com)-- In a population of one lakh, 10-12 suffer from brain tumour. If extrapolated to Bangalore’s estimated 70 lakh residents and around five crore patients who come to the the city each year for treatment, it comes to an astounding figure of 6,000 cases of brain tumour a year. In this context, the Wockhardt Brain Tumor Program, that was launched today, is a timely and much-needed initiative.

One of the biggest challenges in the management of brain tumours is in its early detection. Speaking at the launch, consultant neurosurgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Dr D.V. Rajakumar said that often patients are brought in late, which results in increased morbidity and less chances of survival. In an age when the incidence of brain tumour has increased dramatically, early detection is crucial. There has been a 300 per cent increase in the number of brain tumour cases since 1974. The increase has been attributed to improved diagnosis and a longer lifespan. Brain tumours are seen more commonly in the 60 plus age group.

The Wockhardt Brain Tumor Program has four main objectives:

• to offer advanced diagnostic tools for early detection of tumours;
• to provide the latest advanced technology, including neuro-navigation and neuro-surgical endoscopes for the management of brain tumours;
• to establish a link with internationally recognised clinical leaders through the Harvard Medical Hospital network to share practices of the developed world; and
• to establish a brain tumour database and share knowledge with similar leading institutions in their country.

The Wockhardt Brain Tumor Program will also provide a specialised setup for children. Speaking on the occasion, consultant neurosurgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Dr K.N. Krishna said, “Though there are many children’s hospitals in the country, there is a vacuum so far as an exclusive neurological setup for children goes. There is definitely a requirement for such an advanced centre as one-fourth of all brain tumour cases are in children. Moreover, brain tumours constitute the second most common form of childhood malignancy in children.”

The launch of the Brain Tumor Program was marked by a scientific session in which renowned neurosurgeons from different parts of the country addressed a gathering of clinicians from the city on various aspects of neurosurgery. The main objective of the session was to create awareness about brain tumours among doctors.

Advanced diagnostic equipment and surgical procedures have made the management of brain tumours much more efficient now. But a couple of decades ago, it was a much different story. Explaining the development of brain tumour management, Dr A.S. Hegde, director, Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Bangalore said, “Now the latest diagnostic equipment like CT Scan, MRI, MR Spectroscopy, PET, etc. have made brain tumour surgery much more efficient. Thanks to 3D imaging and brain functionality mapping, surgeons can plan the surgery much better now. Another big achievement of recent times is accurate localisation of investigation and treatment.”

However, one area where he said medical science has to a long way to go is in the efficient treatment of malignant tumours.

Dr V.K.Jain, chief of neurosurgery, Fortis Hospital, Chandigarh explained the complexity of conducting neurosurgeries, particularly when a tumour has to be removed. “A surgeon needs to have a proper understanding of the brain anatomy and superior skills to conduct a successful procedure. The main objective of a neurosurgeon is as much preservation of the brain’s functions as removal of the tumour. What it means is to ensure that no neural tissue, artery or nerve is damaged while removing a tumour. Though advanced technology has made it much simpler, we cannot discount the skills the surgeon possesses,” said Dr Jain.

Dr Vedantham Rajeshekar, professor and head of the department of neurosurgery, Christian Medical College, Vellor spoke about the transition from micro-surgery to the endoscopic approach for brain tumours. “Endoscopic surgeries have many advantages over micro-surgery as it gives the surgeon a panoramic view of the brain, is minimally invasive and provides a better approach for tumours in certain areas of the brain. But it is not suitable for all types of brain tumours, like if the tumour is too large, too firm and is located in certain parts of the brain,” he said. But technology is improving and endoscopic brain surgery is gaining more acceptance in the medical community.

In the panel discussion that followed, experts highlighted the importance of early detection of brain tumours and the need to investigate and follow up as and when there is slight suspicion. After all, brain tumours are treatable and in 50 per cent of cases, it can be completely cured, provided the patient receives timely intervention.

Source: http://www.wockhardthospitals.net/

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