Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) recently held a webicon entitled “It Takes a Village to Save a Life: A Webicon on the Multidisciplinary Approach to Brain and Spine Tumor Management”. Top medical experts from the Brain and Spine Institute of CSMC debunked common myths about brain and spine tumors and discussed the different types of treatments and ways to provide the best, most holistic care to a patient.
The webicon was moderated by Dr. Michael Louis Gimenez, Chair of the Brain and Spine Institute, and the specialists invited to speak were Dr. Theodor Vesagas, Clinical Director of the Philippine Gamma Knife Center and CSMC Brain and Spine Tumor Center; Dr. Gilbert Rañoa, Training Officer of the CSMC Spine Fellowship Program; and Dr. Ma. Luisa Abesamis-Tiambeng, Chair of the Cancer Institute.
Dr. Gimenez opened the webicon by touching on the different signs and symptoms of brain or spine tumors. Many of these symptoms are symptoms also of other medical conditions so there is a need to seek medical care to check if this is indeed a tumor.
- Headaches – not all headaches point to a tumor but certain types of headaches warrant immediate care including progressive headaches, headaches accompanied by severe nausea and vomiting, neurologic symptoms, headaches that awaken you at night, and headaches that worsen with exertion/physical activities
- Nausea and vomiting
- Blurring of vision and double vision
- Seizures
- Balance problems often with dizziness and other symptoms such as facial pain/numbness/weakness, hearing loss, and swallowing and speech problems
- Drowsiness or coma
- Personality or behavior changes
- Pain – most back pain is not caused by a tumor but see a doctor if it is persistent, progressive, worse at night, mechanical in nature, and you have a history of cancer
Cancer care, specially of the brain and spine, is complex and involves a wide range of medical professionals. There is potential for chaos if not managed well. In a multidisciplinary approach, the steps are as follows:
- Patient-Attending Physician Interaction – The doctor discusses the diagnosis, stage of illness, and treatment options. The patient gives his inputs and preferences and his family’s input is also sought.
- Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)-Attending Physician Interaction – The doctor presents the patient’s case while the team discusses range of diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives while considering the patient’s views and preferences.
- Patient-Attending Physician Interaction – Both the doctor and patient/his family discuss the MDT’s input and come to an informed decision
The MDT approach has several benefits — shorter time from diagnosis to treatment, greater chance of receiving consistent and timely care, patient care is team-managed, and such care increases patient satisfaction.
The other speakers each touched on different aspects of CSMC’s multidisciplinary approach when dealing with brain or spine tumors.
Dr. Vesagas introduced Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, a procedure that is only currently available at CSMC. The goal of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is to control or stop the growth of the tumor and allows for excellent control in the removal of tumors with minimal morbidity.
Dr. Rañoa then elaborated on other innovative open surgery treatment options that CSMC offers, such as Stereotactic Biopsy, where neurosurgeons use a needle to obtain tissue from the brain, as well as Awake Craniotomy, which can only be done if an intraoperative neurostimulator is available, and is used to remove tumors in more critical parts of the brain.
Finally, Dr. Tiambeng spoke about non-surgical tumor management and wrapped up the team’s discussion with some reminders and practical tips to follow for when one schedules a checkup for possible tumors.
Mr. Rodel Perez, a 45-year-old OFW based in Dubai and one of CSMC’s patients, was also present as a speaker. Perez recounted his experience after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was about the size of a medium-sized lemon. He noted CSMC’s world-class methods and facilities, praising the compassionate care and sincerity the doctors and nurses of CSMC had towards him during his treatment.
Are these treatments expensive? Dr. Tiambeng stamped out the misconception that these treatments are available only to those who are well-off. “The Philippine Alliance for Brain and Spine Tumors [is a] foundation [that] is helping and has helped hundreds of patients get free treatments,” she said. “There is also Cardinal Charities Foundations, which helps indigent patients get big discounts or even free procedures.”
The bottom line is that brain and spine tumor management can be availed of by all patients. Dr. Gimenez reminded everyone that at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, “…you have a village of medical experts working hand in hand to save lives.”
For more information about the Brain and Spine Institute, as well as other services that CSMC offers, please visit https://cardinalsantos.com.ph/. CSMC is also on Facebook. Like and follow them at www.facebook.com/CardinalSantos.