{"id":2965,"date":"2026-06-26T09:47:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T06:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blionas-neurosurgery.com\/pathiseis\/ogkoi-egkefalou\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T16:13:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:13:44","slug":"brain-tumors","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blionas-neurosurgery.com\/en\/conditions\/brain-tumors\/","title":{"rendered":"Brain Tumors"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tSPECIALIZED NEUROSURGICAL PROCEDURES<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Brain Tumors<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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What a brain tumor is<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

A brain tumor is a mass of cells occupying space where they should not be. Because they inevitably take up volume within a closed skull, they are described as a space-occupying lesion.<\/p>

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Tumors may arise from the brain itself (primary tumors) or from other organs and spread to the brain (metastases).<\/p>

The term covers both benign tumors \u2014 chiefly meningiomas<\/strong> \u2014 and malignant ones, chiefly gliomas<\/strong>, although there are many other types, each with its own behavior, management, and prognosis.<\/p>

Dr. Alexandros Blionas<\/strong>, whose three-year specialist training focused primarily on cranial neurosurgery \u2014 aneurysms, endoscopic procedures, and skull base tumors \u2014 at one of Greece’s most advanced neurosurgical departments, explains the diagnosis and management of brain tumors in plain terms.<\/p>

Diagnosis<\/strong><\/p>

Brain tumors are generally diagnosed on MRI<\/strong>, usually with contrast to optimize imaging.<\/p>

MR spectroscopy<\/strong> is a further refinement. Rather than showing the shape of a lesion, it measures the chemicals within it \u2014 a pattern that helps narrow the diagnosis when the images alone are not conclusive.<\/p>

Where imaging cannot provide sufficient certainty, tissue sampling is required: either surgical removal with the specimen sent for histology, or a biopsy<\/strong> alone. Biopsy alone is appropriate when the tumor is considered inoperable because of its extent or its presumed malignancy, and also when the findings suggest a benign lesion that does not require removal but whose exact nature remains uncertain.<\/p>

Prognosis<\/strong><\/p>

Prognosis depends on the size, type, and location of the tumor, and on the treatment given.<\/p>

A benign tumor<\/strong> does not automatically mean a good prognosis: five-year survival after diagnosis ranges from around 30% to close to 100%, depending on the location, the tumor type, and the quality of management. Equally, a malignant tumor<\/strong> may carry a five-year survival as low as a few percent \u2014 for a metastasis from an aggressive primary \u2014 around 10% for a high-grade primary brain tumor, but up to approximately 97% for tumors of lower grade.<\/p>

It should be emphasized that prognostic figures are statistical averages. A small proportion of patients with highly malignant tumors and very poor average survival live far longer than expected \u2014 decades, in some cases, without further problems. Conversely, a small proportion of patients with benign, favorable tumors may not survive a year, for a variety of reasons. What matters is that management and treatment are done properly<\/strong>, whatever the average prognosis suggests.<\/p>

Treatment options<\/strong><\/p>

The available options are surgery, radiotherapy, radiosurgery, chemotherapy, and watchful waiting.<\/p>