Seizures & Brain Tumor Surgery

Seizures are often seen as a sign that something serious might be wrong within the brain, such as a brain tumor. Surgery is often a necessity for both malignant and benign tumors.

Seizures

• There are approximately 300,000 people who have their first convulsion every year. Only about one-third of seizures indicate brain tumors.

Brain Tumors

• More than 44,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumors each year in the United States. Generally, about half of brain tumors are malignant and the other half are benign. Even benign tumors normally result in brain surgery, as their location can be the cause of seizures or other brain dysfunctions.

Relatedness

• Seizures caused by brain tumors are generally a result of a disruption of electrical signals caused by the tumor. These types of seizures range from convulsions to loss of consciousness. Seizures normally reduce dramatically in quantity following brain tumor surgery.

Length of Seizures

• There are two types of seizures. One type is a focal seizure, which is caused by one area of the brain. The other type is a generalized seizure, which is caused by several different areas within the brain. Seizures can last from 30 to 120 seconds.

Surgery Survival

• Brain tumor surgeries have higher survival rates than alternative treatments for brain tumors, such as radiation.