Brain tumor relates to all tumors that arise in the brain tissue, the nerves, meninges, pituitary or pineal gland and the outer skull areas.
Canine brain tumors that are primary tumors include gliomas, papilloma, adenocarcinoma and meningiomas to name a few.
There are secondary or metastatic canine brain tumors like mammary carcinoma and melanoma which have a very poor prognosis due to the extensive spread of the disease.
You should be aware of the various treatment choices present for treatment of brain tumors in dogs if your pet is affected by brain cancer.
The main options for treatment include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Palliative therapy is also given in most cases of canine brain tumors.
Surgery is not the first line of choice for tumor of the brain as brain tissue cannot regenerate and removing vital parts of brain can cause irreversible effects.
Surgery is indicated only when the tumor is very large and needs to be removed to decompress the brain and when the tumor is present in a safe area like for instance the forebrain region.
Brain stem tumors are hard to approach and treat.
Meningiomas are more easily removed due to their presence near the surface of the brain than the gliomas which are present deep within.
Radiation therapy is a safe method of treatment for brain tumor in dogs than surgery.
But in some cases a combination of radiotherapy and surgery are performed to get a better result.
Radiation on the tumor arrests or slows down the tumor growth.
The dose of radiation therapy depends on the extent of the tumor and also on the institution.
Usually large doses cannot be given and the dog should be sufficiently healthy for the general anesthetic procedure performed before each radiation.
In case of a huge tumor surgical excision of the tumor is done to decompress and relieve the brain tissues and then radiation is started.
Radiation costs are very high reaching several thousands of dollars.
Chemotherapy is another mode of treatment for tumors in dogs but not a very successful one as few drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier and act on the tumor.
Some drugs that have found to be effective are temezolomide which is used in glioma treatment and drugs like carmustine and lomustine (CCNU) which are alkalizing agents.
Palliative therapy includes the administration of drugs that help to relieve the symptoms of tumor like pain and inflammation.
Corticosteroids are usually given to alleviate the symptoms.
They reduce the swelling and also the pressure that builds up due to the tumor.
The palliative drugs make the dog feel better and cope with the treatment better.
Anti- seizure drugs are also given, like Phenobarbital or potassium bromide to control seizures triggered by the tumor pressure on the brain.
Tumors in dogs do not have much of a prognosis but a few types are completely curable if proper treatment in given at the right time.
Though treatment is not fruitful the significance of treatment is in the relieving of the various symptoms so as your pet can have a better standard of life.