‘Treating kids with radiation therapy a challenge’

Manama : Whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) being ineffective in treating brain tumours is a common misconception, according to neurosurgeon Dr. Dilip Panikar, who is on a visit to the Kingdom. But he warned against using the method on children.

According to him, there is no uncertainty about WBRT being an effective method of treating tumours in the brain. Dr. Panikar, an expert in micro neurosurgery with 26 years of experience, said the radiation treatment is a scientifically proven method when it comes to treating brain tumours. 

However, he noted that treating children with this method could be a challenge. 

He was speaking to reporters during a roundtable discussion on Aster Medical Centre premises in Gudaibiya yesterday.

“Radiation as a treatment for certain types of tumours and cancers is very effective. It is documented to be extremely effective in stopping progression of tumours. The problem with radiation is that it is a double-edged sword; you have a good effect but you also have a bad effect,” he pointed out.

“The negative effect is when the brain is not mature enough to tolerate the radiation. Giving radiation in this case can actually cause a lot of damage,” he opined. 

“You do not recognise the damage immediately but soon you realize there is damage upon assessing the intellectual performance of the child when he goes to school,” Dr. Panikar elaborated.

“There is a type of radiation treatment where you focus on one particular part of the brain. It’s like when you focus light through a magnifying glass, you burn a hole in paper. The same concept goes with radiation; you can focus a high dose of radiation but to a part in the brain while keeping the exposure to the rest of the brain minimal,” he added.