UNAIR NEWS – Prof Dr Joni Wahyuhadi dr SpBS (K) MARS was inaugurated as the Faculty of Medicine professor in Glioma Molecular and Surgery. The inauguration ceremony took place on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at the Garuda Mukti Hall, Management Building, MERR-(C) Campus Universitas Airlangga.
Prof Joni talked about glioma or brain tumors in his scientific oration. He stated that people should be aware of the emergency condition in patients with brain tumors as it requires an adequate treatment.
Glioma is cells which classified into primary brain tumor and secondary brain tumor. The primary brain tumor start in the brain within the cranial cavity. While the secondary tumor cell grows from outside the cranial cavity, which is known as brain metastases.
“Every year, there are 20,500 new diagnoses and 12,500 death cases from brain tumors in the United States. In Surabaya, at dr. Soetomo Hospital, there were 405 cases of brain tumors, with 29 patients diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) between 2002 and 2004. From 2013 to 2023, there were 580 cases of glioma, both those treated with surgical and non-surgical approaches,” said the 128th professor of the Faculty of Medicine.
The neurosurgeon stated that the emergency cases for brain tumor patients remain a significant problem in Indonesia. One of the reasons is the unequal distribution and capacity of healthcare services.
Early symptoms of glioma
Before understanding the urgency of the tumor, it is necessary to learn the signs and symptoms of patients with brain tumors. The most common symptom is recurring headache, which occurs intermittently and worsens upon waking up and straining.
“Usually, the pain is progressive. It gets more frequent and severe over time. The second symptom is seizures, if it occurs in adulthood, brain tumor should be suspected until proven otherwise,” he said.
The appearing symptoms and signs are not always complete. The occurrence of one or two symptoms should prompt the patient to seek medical attention from a doctor for treating the condition.
“Currently, the best diagnostic procedure to detect this emergency is the head Computed Tomography (CT) scan. This allows doctors to quickly provide appropriate assistance based on the cause. The common obstacle is the delay in diagnostics due to the limited availability of CT scan services at healthcare centers,” he said.
Tools and human resources
In the end, the university’s 586th professor named multiple factors that provide a greater probability of saving patients with brain tumors, like emergency surgical interventions that are supported by modern tools such as surgical microscopes, neuronavigation, stereotaxis, and other supporting equipment, along with the reliability of highly skilled personnel in a competent and cohesive team.
“The management of brain tumors has significantly advanced, especially at RSUD dr. Soetomo. However, understanding brain tumors, especially their emergency conditions is essential for the community. Together, let’s improve survival rates and minimize disability caused by brain tumors,” he said.
Author: Langgeng Widodo
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
