Know More About Brain Tumor

Know More About Brain Tumor


Every year more than 17,000 people in the US find out they have a brain tumor. People with a brain tumor may face the following symptoms.

General symptoms include:
1. Headaches, which may be severe and may worsen with activity or in the early morning.
2. Seizures
3. Personality or memory change.
4. Nausea or vomiting
5. Vision changes, such as blurred vision

Symptoms that may be specific to the location of the tumor include:
1. Pressure or headache near the tumor
2. Loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills (cerebellum)
3. Changes in judgment, including loss of initiative, sluggishness, and muscle weakness or paralysis (frontal lobe of the cerebrum)
4. Partial or complete loss of vision (occipital lobe or temporal lobe of the cerebrum)
5. Changes in speech, hearing, memory, or emotional state, such as aggressiveness and problems understanding or retrieving words (frontal and temporal lobe of cerebrum)
6. Altered perception of touch or pressure, arm or leg weakness on one side of the body, or confusion with left and right sides of the body (frontal or parietal lobe of the cerebrum)
7. Inability to look upward (pineal tumor)
8. Lactation and altered menstrual periods in women, and growth in hands and feet in adults (pituitary tumor)
9. Difficulty swallowing, facial weakness or numbness, or double vision (brain stem)

Tumor location. A tumor can form in any part of the brain. Some tumor locations cause greater damage than others, and some tumors are harder to treat due to their location than others.

steps in the Brain Tumor .
1. Normal, no complaints, no evidence of disease
2. Able to carry on normal activity; minor symptoms of disease
3. Normal activity with effort; some symptoms of disease
4. Cares for self; unable to carry on normal activity or active work
5. Requires occasional assistance but is able to care for needs
6. Requires considerable assistance and frequent medical care
7. Disabled: requires special care and assistance
8. Severely disabled; hospitalization is indicated, but death not imminent
9. Very sick, hospitalization necessary; active treatment necessary
10. Moribund, fatal processes progressing rapidly
11. Dead

Treatment:

The treatment of an adult brain tumor depends on many factors, including the size, location, type, and grade of the tumor, whether it is cancerous, whether it has spread to other parts of the CNS or body, and the person’s age and overall health. People diagnosed with a CNS tumor generally need to seek treatment as soon as possible, because some tumors can grow quickly and cause severe symptoms.In many cases, a team of doctors will work with the patient to determine the best treatment plan. Successfully treating brain and spinal cord tumors can be challenging. The blood-brain barrier, which normally serves to protect the brain and spinal cord from harmful chemicals entering those structures through the bloodstream, also keeps out many types of potentially beneficial drugs. Surgery can be difficult if the tumor is near a delicate portion of the brain or spinal cord. Radiation therapy can damage healthy tissue.
o Surgery Surgery is the first treatment most commonly used for a brain tumor and is often the only treatment needed for a benign brain tumor.Surgery to the brain requires the removal of part of the skull, a procedure called a craniotomy. After the surgeon removes the tumor, the patient’s own bone will be used to cover the opening in the skull.There have been rapid advances in surgery for brain tumors, including the use of cortical mapping and enhanced imaging devices to give surgeons more tools to plan and perform the surgery. For a tumor that is near the speech center, it is increasingly common to perform the operation when the patient is awake for part of the surgery; typically, the patient is awakened once the surface of the brain is exposed, and special electrical stimulation techniques are used to locate the speech center and thereby avoid causing damage while removing the tumor.In addition to removing or reducing the size of the brain tumor, surgery can provide a tissue sample for biopsy analysis. For some tumor types, the results of the analysis can help in showing if chemotherapy or radiation therapy will be useful. In a cancerous tumor, even if the cancer cannot be cured, its removal can relieve symptoms if it is creating pressure on parts of the brain.
o Radiation therapyRadiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. Doctors may use radiation therapy along with surgery to slow or stop the growth of tumors. Radiation can be directed in the following ways:
1. Conventional radiation therapy. The treatment location is determined based on anatomic landmarks and x-rays. In certain situations, such as whole brain radiation therapy for brain metastases, this technique is appropriate. For more precise targeting, different techniques are required.
2. Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Radiation therapy is delivered with greater intensity or dose to thicker areas of the tumor and with less intensity to thinner areas of the tumor. This is accomplished by placing tiny metal leaves in the beam to reduce the intensity of the beam in order to customize the shape of the dose to the shape of the tumor.
3. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. Based on CT and MRI images, a three-dimensional model of the tumor and normal tissues is created on a computer. Beam size and angles are determined that maximize tumor dose and minimize normal tissue dose.
4. Stereotactic radiosurgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery involves delivering a single, high dose of radiation directly to the tumor and not healthy tissues.
o Fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is delivered with stereotactic precision but divided into small daily fractions over several weeks using a relocatable head frame, in contrast to the one-day radiosurgery. This technique is used for tumors located close to sensitive structures, such as the optic nerves or brain stem.
o ChemotherapyChemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy is delivered through the bloodstream, targeting cancer cells throughout the body. The goal of chemotherapy can be to destroy cancer cells remaining after surgery, slow the tumor’s growth, or reduce symptoms.Chemotherapy can be delivered orally (by mouth), intravenously (IV, by vein), or directly into the tumor cavity. IV chemotherapy is either injected directly into a vein or through a thin tube called a catheter, a tube temporarily put into a large vein to make injections easier. For a malignant brain tumor, it is expected that a combination of treatments will be required. Typically, treatment begins with surgery, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
o ImmunotherapyImmunotherapy (also called biologic therapy) is designed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials either made by the body or in a laboratory to bolster, target, or restore immune system function.Different methods are being applied, such as the use of dendritic cells or the use of vaccines aimed against a specific molecule that is expressed on the surface of the tumor cells. Several studies are currently being tested throughout the country in clinical trials.
o Advanced/recurrent brain tumors if, in spite of initial treatment, the brain tumor does not go into remission (the temporary or permanent disappearance of symptoms) or if it recurs, treatment can still manage the symptoms caused by the tumor. Symptom management is always important since the symptoms of a brain tumor can interfere with quality of life.

After Treatment
After treatment for a brain tumor ends, talk with your doctor about developing a follow-up care plan. This plan may include regular physical examinations and/or medical tests to monitor your recovery for the coming months and years. Many brain tumors have a high tendency to recur, so people should be routinely monitored for new symptoms with regular MRI scans. The frequency of the follow-up visits and the scans depends on the type of the tumor and other factors, therefore, your oncologist or neuro-oncologist will determine your schedule.People recovering from a brain tumor are encouraged to follow established guidelines for good health, such as maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, eating a balanced diet, and having recommended cancer screening tests. Talk with your doctor to develop a plan that is best for your needs. Moderate physical activity can help rebuild your strength and energy level. Your doctor can help you create an appropriate exercise plan based upon your needs, physical abilities, and fitness level. Learn more about Healthy Living After Cancer