​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

The symptoms of tumors vary according to their location. The most common symptoms include chills, discomfort or pain, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, night sweats, and weight loss. Brain tumor symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, vision trouble, and fuzzy memory.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Over time, a tumor can grow larger and become increasingly painful. If it not treated early, it may turn cancerous, which requires a longer treatment process or may not be treatable at all. Due to the symptoms of a tumor, adult patients may have difficulty caring for their families and completing day-to-day chores. They may miss work or lose their jobs altogether, resulting in a decrease in income for their families. Children can miss school or drop out, resulting in a lower quality of life in the future. In worst case scenarios, tumors can be life threatening. When a benign tumor turns cancerous, the patient may need chemotherapy or other types of therapy which are very expensive and often unaffordable.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

When a tumor does not cause any significant pain or discomfort and is not noticeable, many patients will not know that they have a tumor. If a tumor becomes visible or is felt, some patients from Burma will apply traditional medicine to the area where the tumor is seen or felt, which is affordable and readily available. Only when the pain increases and/or the tumor grows in size will patients from Burma seek treatment at a clinic or a hospital. Often, due to a lack of funds, treatment is only sought when the tumor has already advanced and they require urgent surgery. Migrants and refugees in Thailand may also delay seeking treatment due to the language barrier as they do not speak Thai, in addition to not knowing how to go about accessing care at a local hospital.

What does the treatment process look like?

The patient undergoes a blood test, an ultrasound, and an x-ray. The patient will also receive a computerized tomography (CT) scan and/or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in preparation for the patient's treatment. Sometimes a biopsy is required to confirm if the tumor is benign or malignant. For adult patients without any underlying conditions and depending on the tumors locations, the removal of a tumor surgery can be performed quickly. However, if the patient has underlying conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, or if the tumor is located in or near an organ such as the brain, the surgery will be high risk. Additionally, any underlying condition must be managed before they receive surgery. A patient usually spends about 2-3 days in the hospital.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

After the surgery, the patient will no longer experience pain or discomfort and will be able to resume their usual daily activities. Any other symptoms caused by the tumor such as chills or fever will be alleviated.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

The potential risks of undergoing surgery for tumor removal includes an infection at the site of the surgery and an allergic reactions to anesthesia. Additionally, nerves and/or nearby organs may become damaged.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Removal of a simple benign tumor is available at most district hospitals in Thailand. However, high risk surgeries such as brain surgery to remove a tumor is only performed at larger hospitals in Thailand. Most migrants and refugees in Thailand have to pay out of pocket for their treatment at Thai public hospitals. Because of this, most cannot afford to pay for their treatment. Additionally, the language barrier keeps many patients away. Therefore, most migrants will go to a number of clinics before they are referred to Burma Children Medical Fund. BCMF works with partners who have staff assisting non-Thai speakers in the hospital with navigating appointments and translation.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

Although there are less invasive procedures, depending on the tumor's location, such as upper endoscopy and colonoscopy, open surgeries are primarily performed in Thailand to remove tumors.