Brain sarcoma is a malignant disease. It is characterized by the development of a tumor from elements of connective tissue. It can enter neighboring organs. Sarcoma is a rare pathology, but manifests itself at any age. The danger lies in the fact that the neoplasm is mainly detected in the later stages, when even surgical intervention is ineffective.
Medical certificate
Brain sarcoma develops exclusively from elements of the connective tissue. This distinguishes it from other similar pathologies. For example, Ewing's sarcoma of the brain and osteogenic sarcoma arise from bone cells. The Kaposi tumor originates in the elements of the vascular endothelium. Soft tissue sarcoma develops from fatty, muscular tissues. The pathology described in the article is 2% of all cases of sarcoma.
It is aggressive towards neighboring organs, and is growing rapidly. The neoplasm can penetrate the tendons and muscles, metastasize and recur. In the case of the spread of metastases, they speak of the development of a secondary oncological process. In this case, the patient's condition suddenly worsens. Clinical signs may appear in the second stage.
Pathology classification
The development of a tumor directly in the parenchyma of the brain or its shells indicates the primary form of the oncological process. The transfer of atypical elements from the lesion along the lymphatic and blood paths indicates a secondary variant of the course of the disease.
Depending on the location of the sarcoma, it can be intracerebral and extracerebral. In the first case, the tumor is a dense node with fuzzy borders, in which elements of calcification are necessarily present. Extra cerebral pathology is distinguished by a clear capsule. She has the ability to quickly engage nearby tissues in the pathological process.
In addition, the following types of sarcoma of the brain are distinguished:
- Meningosarcoma It always develops from the meninges. It does not have clear contours, it is prone to aggressive development.
- Angioretikulosarcoma. Arises their elements of the vascular walls of the brain.
- Fibrosarcoma. It comes from the fibrous tissue of ligaments and layers of the brain. It is characterized by slow development and a favorable prognosis for recovery.
Achievements of today's medicine allow differential diagnosis of pathology, which greatly facilitates the selection of treatment tactics.
Main reasons
There are many reasons that affect the occurrence of brain sarcoma. Among them, the following are most prevalent:
- Genetic predisposition.
- Exposure to radiation.
- Past viral diseases, including herpetic etiology.
- Mechanical injuries and brain injuries.
- The transferred chemo - or radiation therapy.
Most of these factors can be controlled. A person is able to track them and prevent the transformation of the pathological process into a malignant course.
Clinical picture
Symptoms of brain sarcoma are similar to other manifestations of cancer pathologies. The neoplasm makes itself felt by progressive cerebral and neurological signs. First of all, the patient suffers from severe headaches. Gradually, his hearing and vision acuity decreases, and emotional disorders are observed. Every day the clinical picture only grows. Common symptoms for brain sarcoma are the following:
- regular headaches that do not respond to medication;
- vomiting and nausea;
- impaired consciousness;
- visual impairment;
- problems with speech;
- epilepsy attacks.
The clinical picture of the pathology is largely determined by the localization of the neoplasm. It is able to exert pressure on the structure of the gray matter, which is responsible for certain functions. For example, the presence of a tumor inside the ventricles of the brain is accompanied by sharp jumps in intracranial pressure. Its location on the side of the temples causes hearing loss. If the sarcoma develops in the frontal and parietal lobes, this process adversely affects the motor apparatus and intellectual abilities of a person.
Developmental stages
After nucleation, the pathology begins to progress rapidly. Its course is replaced by stages, each of which only worsens the patient's condition and reduces the chances of five-year survival.
Sarcoma of the brain in its development goes through the following stages:
- First one. The size of the neoplasm is 1-2 cm, there are no metastases. Severe symptoms, as a rule, are absent.
- The second one. The tumor already extends beyond the brain and grows up to 5 cm.The initial symptoms of the pathology may appear, but most patients ignore them and do not go to the doctor.
- The third. The neoplasm increases to 10 cm, metastases appear.
- Fourth. The tumor grows to an impressive size. She begins to gradually poison the body. The pathological process is most often not operable. The patient is unconscious most of the time. His motor and speech activity is impaired. The forecast is unfavorable.
Diagnostic Methods
An oncologist is involved in the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of brain sarcoma. If symptoms of pathology appear, seek medical attention immediately. Diagnosis begins with a study of the patient’s history, examination and questioning. External oncological signs are manifested by a bluish tint of the lips, yellowness of the skin, sharp exhaustion. Intoxication of the body provokes an increase in temperature, the appearance of weakness and lack of appetite.
Then go to instrumental diagnostic methods. The patient is prescribed a lumbar puncture to identify atypical cells and a biopsy. Computed tomography is also mandatory. The boundaries of the neoplasm and the spread of metastases can be seen in the photo.
It is difficult to confirm brain sarcoma only through laboratory tests. With this pathology, as a rule, there is an acceleration of ESR, changes in the lymphocytic formula. Signs of anemia are also detected.
After confirming the diagnosis, the doctor chooses the treatment tactics. Modern medicine offers surgical and medical methods for eliminating pathology, as well as radiation. Surgical intervention is recommended with a convenient location of the oncology site. If there is a risk of hurting neurological centers during this procedure, the tumor is partially removed and chemotherapy or radiotherapy is additionally prescribed. Each of the treatment methods will be described in detail below.
Surgical intervention
Surgical intervention is performed under general anesthesia. Today, doctors are increasingly resorting to craniotomy, a procedure in which the patient is conscious. After opening the patient’s skull, they are taken out of anesthesia for a while. Do this to determine the amount of brain tissue removed. At this time, the patient is asked to talk and answer simple questions to make sure the speech is complete.
With an open operation, as a rule, the lesion is completely removed. The skull is fixed with a special clamp at three points and the lining of the brain is opened. Through continuous neuronavigation, the doctor introduces microsurgical instruments and excises the neoplasm. If it is excessively large, pathological tissue is removed using ultrasound suction. The fluorescent substance, which the patient is given before surgery, greatly facilitates the procedure.
After the intervention, a follow-up check by means of MRI or CT is mandatory. Then the lining of the brain and the wound itself are closed. After withdrawal from anesthesia, the patient is constantly monitored. After some time, the result of the operation is re-checked using MRI or CT.
Radiosurgery Application
Another method of treating sarcoma is radiosurgery using a cyber knife. This procedure does not require an autopsy. The radiation beam is directed to the neoplasm. At the same time, healthy tissues remain almost untouched. Before each radiation, a CT scan or an MRI scan is performed to determine the location of the tumor in case of accidental movement of the patient’s head.
This treatment option has many advantages. For example, it does not require craniotomy and anesthesia. After the procedure, the risk of complications is minimal, and there is no bleeding. However, only small tumors can be removed through radiosurgery.
Chemotherapy features
It is difficult to imagine treatment of sarcoma without the use of chemotherapy, the main purpose of which is to destroy the elements of the tumor. In the brain there is a blood-brain barrier. It protects both healthy and pathological cells from external influences. Therefore, before starting a course of chemotherapy, radiation is recommended.
Medications before such treatment are administered orally, into the muscle or veins. After a course of therapy, adverse reactions from the body to the process of removing brain sarcoma are often observed. Symptoms can be different, from nausea and vomiting to ulcerative changes in the oral mucosa.
Possible complications
Sarcoma tends to grow rapidly. This causes pressure from the tumor on nearby organs and tissues. As a result, their function noticeably worsens. First of all, doctors attribute metastases to such complications. With sarcoma in the brain, they are usually diagnosed in the liver, lymph nodes, and lungs.
Another unpleasant consequence is internal bleeding. It occurs due to the decay of the tumor and is accompanied by intoxication of the body. In this case, the patient complains of constant weakness and severe headaches.
Prognosis for recovery
Is brain sarcoma really dangerous? How many live with her? In the initial stages, complete rehabilitation is possible with adequate therapy. If the development of the tumor corresponds to the third or fourth stage, the prognosis for recovery is poor.
According to statistics, with sarcoma of the brain, survival for 5 years is 20%. The main cause of death is the significant size of the neoplasm. With successful removal of the tumor, disability is not excluded (impaired motor and speech functions, dementia, memory loss).
In almost half of cases, sarcoma provokes relapses. This is due to the extraordinary aggressiveness of its elements and the inability to carry out high-quality tumor removal. To prevent relapse, it is necessary to undergo an examination prescribed by an oncologist every 2 months after treatment. Usually it consists of brain ultrasound, MRI and CT.
Sarcoma most often develops in people over 60 years old. Some types of tumors can be diagnosed in a child. Ewing's brain sarcoma is evidence of this. Some chemical elements contribute to the accelerated growth of the tumor. It is about vinyl chloride and dioxin. If a person is regularly exposed to these substances, the likelihood of pathology is quite high.
Prevention Methods
The main method for the prevention of any cancer is timely diagnosis. Therefore, each person who cares about his health should periodically undergo a full examination of the body. In addition, you must try to eliminate the factors provoking pathology: frequent stress, poor nutrition, self-medication, addictions.