Brain cancer awareness…
Did you know that about 17,000 people every year in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer that began in or next to the brain?
Unfortunately, brain cancer is also the number one cause of cancer death in children. Let’s go gray in May for brain cancer awareness month.
Many people with brain tumors are diagnosed after going to the doctor for symptoms such as headaches.
It is very important to learn and be attentive to symptoms and steps to diagnose and treat tumors.
Symptoms of a brain tumor can be general or more specific.
Many of the general symptoms include:
- Headaches which are usually the first symptom
- Seizures
- Loss of sensation to vision, smell, hearing
- Memory changes, forgetfulness
- Fatigue
- Nausea/ Vomiting
- Depression and Anxiety
Brain cancer awareness: More of the specific symptoms may include:
- Headache or pressure near the tumor
- Partial or complete loss of vision caused by the tumor
- Loss of balance
- Changes in speech, hearing, retrieving words, and trouble understanding
- Changes in judgment, sluggishness, and muscle weakness could also be associated with a tumor
Some brain tumors can grow slowly and may enlarge before causing any symptoms.
Others multiply and cause many symptoms suddenly. Every type of brain tumor has different treatments. Cancers that metastasize or spread to the brain are called Metastases. Many cancers may also spread to the brain, such as lung cancer, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and malignant melanoma.
Getting the most accurate diagnosis possible if you have a brain tumor is very important. A biopsy can diagnose the brain tumor or imaging via CT scans, MRI, and PET.
Treatment options can include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Surgery is usually the first treatment for brain tumors. It includes the removal of the tumor, although complete removal is not always possible. In addition, surgery may relieve symptoms, help reduce the tumor size, and help the doctors decide on other treatments.
Radiation therapy can stop or slow the growth of brain tumors surgery can’t remove. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy tumor cells.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy tumor cells, usually stopping the cancer cells abilities to grow and divide. However, chemotherapy is often not as effective for brain cancer as other cancer types. This is due to the blood-brain barrier, small blood vessels in the brain, and spinal cord, which protect the brain from harmful substances. These may act as a shield against Chemotherapy drugs.
Survival rates for brain cancer vary widely, with younger patients tending to have a better outlook than older patients. Location of the tumor and size, age, and whether the tumor is removable are factors in determining the person’s outlook.
