The Brain Tumour Podcast

This episode concerns Primary Cerebral Lymphoma. I cover the epidemiology, the clinical and radiological features, and the treatment of this condition.

Here I describe haemangioblastoma, an unusual tumour of adults. Although it is benign, it can run in families and also can be challenging to treat surgically.

This is the first episode of the second series of the Brain Tumour Podcast, in which I will be covering unusual and rare types of brain tumours. The first episode is an introduction to Solitary Fibrous Tumour / Haemangiopericytoma.

There are several medications used in brain tumour patients, that are not chemotherapy, but are very important in controlling symptoms associated with having a brain tumour and dealing with the side effects of treatment. It is important to understand these medications, which include corticosteroids like dexamethasone, anti-seizure medications, analgesics and anti-emetics.

Facing a Brain Tumour Operation is daunting. Most of the time, this is the first time that someone has undergone this surgery, so the prospect of having a surgeon open up their cskull and delve into their brain is frightening, which is to be expected. Having some knowledge of what to expect in the immediate aftermath of a procedure can help. In this episode, I discuss the typical timelines for recovery after a brain tumour operation.

Children unfortunately do have brain tumours. In this episode I give a VERY brief introduction to this huge subject, touching on some of the key differences between children and adults, and describe some of the common brain tumours that occur in children.

I give an overview of CSF and ventricular system, why brain tumours can cause a disruption in this system and hence hydrocephlaus, and how this may have to be dealt with with a shunt procedure. 

In this episode I give an introduction to the basic anatomy of the pituitary gland, how pituitary tumours are classified and investigated, and then how they are treated. 

This episode is an Introduction to Meningiomas, the commonest benign  brain tumour. I discuss the incidence and causes of these tumours, then  clinical presentation investigation and treatment.

This episode is an introduction to chemotherapy for brain tumours. I  cover what chemotherapy is, what types of brain tumours are treated with  chemo and describe the basic regime of chemo for GBM.