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Brain Cancer Diagnosis

Brain Cancer: Diagnosis


Top Diagnosis

1. Biopsy

The biopsy test is a confirmatory test which involves extracting a tissue sample from the brain and testing it for cancerous cells. In this test, an incision is made in the scalp and a small hole is drilled into the skull. Then a long needle is inserted to remove a tissue sample. Sometimes the needle is guided in by using a CT scan or an MRI. This test is highly invasive in nature. Sometimes, when the tumor is present in areas where a biopsy might damage the brain tissue, MRIs or CT scans are used for confirming the diagnosis.

2. Myelogram

In this procedure, an X-ray of the spinal column is taken. It is often that a tumor in the brain metastasizes to the spinal cord and vice versa. In the myelogram test, a spinal tap is done to introduce a contrasting agent into the spinal cord. Then an X-ray is taken of the back of the body. The contrasting agent lights up the tissues on the scan and an abnormal growth in the space between the bones of the spinal cord can be detected. The procedure of injecting the dye is invasive in nature though the actual test is non-invasive.

3. Spinal tap

In this test, the doctor uses a thin, long needle to extract the fluid from around the brain and spinal column. This test is performed under local anesthesia, and takes about half an hour. But the patient must lie down for several hours after the procedure to prevent a headache. The fluid removed is tested for cancerous cells. This is an invasive procedure.

4. Skull X-ray

While the CT scan and the MRI normally take images of the inside of the brain, sometimes an X-ray of the skull is also taken. This is because very often, the tumor pushes on the skull, or causes calcium to get deposited on the skull. A skull X-ray can detect such changes in it’s structure. This is a non-invasive test.

5. Neuro-vascular angiography

Angiography is basically an imaging technique where a contrasting agent is inserted into the blood stream and the inside of the body is viewed using X-ray techniques like radiology. Very often, tumors are formed in the blood vessels in the brain. The neuro-vasucular angiography test is performed to visualize the arterial supply to the brain. This imaging test too is non-invasive in nature, but the contrasting agent might be a radioactive isotope.

6. MR spectroscopy

This is a modified MRI test, which shows the metabolic activity of a brain tumor. When a tumor grows in the brain, the metabolic activity of the tissues increase. The MR spectroscopy tests the levels of different proteins in the tissues. Abnormal quantities of proteins may suggest the presence of a tumor. Like the MRI test, this too is non-invasive.

7. Magnetic resonance imaging scan or MRI scan

The MRI scan is an imaging test, where a combination of a magnetic field and radio waves produce a distinct image of the body. A magnetic field aligns the protons of the hydrogen atoms in the body which are then exposed to radio waves. The agitated protons then themselves emit faint signals which are then fed to a computer which generates the image. The MRI scan can detect tiny changes in the tissues in the brain, indicating the presence of a tumor. Sometimes a contrasting agent like gadolinium is used. This imaging test is non-invasive in nature.

8. Computed tomography scan or CT scan

A computed tomography scan is a special X-ray scan, where multiple images are taken rapidly at different angles. This creates a three dimensional image of the region to be scanned. Usually a contrasting agent is injected to show up the tissues clearly in the scan. Abnormal growth of tissues can be seen clearly on the scan. This imaging test is non-invasive in nature, though there is an exposure to ionizing radiations.

9. Neurological exam

This involves a series of tests and exams to assess the patient’s physical and mental awareness and to check the functioning of the nervous system. The doctor also examines the eyes for any swelling, as the tumor might press against the nerve joining the eye to the brain. Most of these tests are directed towards testing the responses of the cranial, motor and the sensory nerves. Some of these tests are invasive in nature, like the ones where the pressure due to the tumor on the skull is to be gauged. If responses to these tests are not normal, then the doctor advises brain scans and/or biopsies.

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