Cancer news
Brain Cancer
What is Brain Cancer?
The brain is a soft, spongy mass of tissue. It is protected by the bones of the skull and three thin membranes called meninges. Cancers of the brain are abnormal growths of cells in the brain. Although such growths are popularly called brain tumors, not all brain tumors are cancer. Cancer is a term reserved for malignant tumors. Malignant tumors grow and spread aggressively, overpowering healthy cells by taking their space, blood, and nutrients.
There are two types of brain tumors: primary brain tumors and metastatic (secondary) brain tumors.
Primary Brain Tumors - The brain is made up of many different types of cells and primary brain tumors are named according to the type of cells or the part of the brain in which they begin. The most common primary brain tumors are gliomas. There are many types of gliomas cells: Astrocytoma - the tumor arises from star-shaped glial cells called astrocytes, Brain stem glioma - the tumor occurs in the lowest part of the brain, Ependymoma- the tumor arises from cells that line the ventricles or the central canal of the spinal cord and Oligodendroglioma—This rare tumor arises from cells that make the fatty substance that covers and protects nerves.
Metastatic (secondary) brain tumors - Metastatic brain tumors are made of cancerous cells from a tumor elsewhere in the body. The cells spread to the brain from another tumor in a process called metastasis. About 25% of tumors elsewhere in the body metastasize to the brain.
Symptoms of Brain Tumors?
Not all brain tumors cause symptoms, there are many types symptoms that look like brain cancer and infact their not. But you should be careful at these ones:
- Headache
- Weakness
- Clumsiness
- Difficulty walking
- Nausea
- vomiting
- Paralysis on one side of the body
- Abnormalities in vision
- Difficulty with speech
How are people diagnosed?
Usually, you will have a general physical examination in which the doctor may listen to your chest and feel your abdomen to check your general health, and you will have a detailed examination to test your nervous system. Examination includes: Mental exercises, an eye examination using an ophthalmoscope, hearing tests, checking the strength of your arms and legs, your knee jerks, reflexes and your balance and co-ordination. Also you may have to take a biopsy, which is the removal of a small piece of the tumor to find out exactly which type of tumor it is. By examining the sample under a microscope a doctor can tell what kind of cells is present.
What about treatment?
Surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be used alone or in combination to treat brain tumors. The kinds of treatment used will depend on the age of the patient, the stage of the disease, the type and location of the tumor, and whether the cancer is a primary tumor or brain metastases.
Surgery - the first step in most cases is surgical removal of as much of the tumor as is safe without destroying normal function. Some tumors may be cured by surgical removal alone or by surgery combined with radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy is the use of special anti-cancer (catatonic) drugs, which work by disrupting the growth of cancer cells. It may be used alone or together with radiotherapy in people with primary brain tumours that cannot be removed by surgery. It may be used as part of the treatment of secondary brain tumours.
Radiation Therapy
Most brain tumors that are not cured by surgery are treated with high-energy radiation to kill remaining cancer cells.
Brain cancer sites
- Brain Cancer - Overview, Causes & Symptoms - oncologychannel - Brain Cancer is the primary cancer that results in death, but its symptoms vary depending on which part of the brain a tumor is located.
- MedlinePlus: Brain Cancer - Latest News; Test Predicts Effective Brain Cancer Treatment , Reuters Health; Overviews; Brain Cancer Interactive Tutorial (Patient Education).
- Brain Cancer Information and Resources | Oncolink Brain Tumor - Brain Cancer information including risk, prevention, screening, symptoms, research, treatment, and support. Provided by Oncolink - The Web’s First Cancer …
- Brain Cancer - eMedicine Health - Information on brain cancer and its causes, symptoms and treatments.
- Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure - ABC2 is a non-profit association dedicated to accelerating a brain cancer cure.
