Your doctors can help guide you and recommend to you if this seems like the best plan of action. You may qualify for clinical trials, as well, for experimental measures that are showing promise. These blocks specific abnormalities within the cancer cells, causing them to die. For certain kinds of cancer, targeted drug therapy may also be an option. There's chemotherapy, in which powerful drugs that combat cancer cells are taken either orally or through an IV. There are a few different forms of delivery, but all use high-energy radiation to target and destroy cancerous cells. Even if the entire thing can't be removed safely, eliminating a portion can help alleviate symptoms. If the tumor is in a place where removal is a viable option, surgery may be recommended to take out as much of the mass as possible. You and your care team will collaborate to map a course for the best quality of life ahead. Treatment depends on a lot of factors: the type, size, and location of the tumor, as well as your overall health and personal preferences. It's important to feel confident in your care team and their support as you fight this battle together. So the most important thing you can do is to find a specialized treatment center that feels like a good fit and get a second opinion or even a third. If a tumor is detected, a surgical procedure may be done to determine the nature of the mass or its type.Īlthough a brain tumor diagnosis can be overwhelming and scary, know that there are experts in the field who will work with you to figure out the best strategic course for your individual situation. They may recommend imaging tests, such as an MRI or a CAT scan or a PET scan, to get a clearer picture of the brain. This will evaluate your vision, hearing, balance, coordination, strength, sensation, and reflexes. First, you will most likely be given a neurological examination. There are a variety of tests and procedures your doctor may recommend for determining the cause of your symptoms. And you should make an appointment with your doctor. But if you notice a headache that awakens you from sleep, that seems to be at its worst in the early morning hours, along with dimming of your vision, this could be a sign of increased intracranial pressure.
That doesn't mean if you have a headache or even a headache with these other symptoms that you have a brain tumor. These may include: seizures, difficulty thinking or speaking, changes in personality, anxiety, depression, disorientation, fatigue, abnormal eye movements, numbness or tingling on one side of the body, weakness on one side of the body, loss of balance, vision changes, memory loss, nausea, generalized pain, trouble swallowing, trouble walking, drooping on one side of the face, loss of appetite, weight loss, and slurred speech. Usually, the first sign of a brain tumor is a headache, generally in conjunction with other symptoms. It's not common, but sometimes a brain tumor can be the first indication of cancer elsewhere. And the cause of that original cancer, depending on where it started, could have resulted from genetic or external factors. When it comes to secondary tumors, we know that they spread from cancer in other parts of the body. But they're not really predictable nor preventable. And there are some rare inherited syndromes that seem related to brain tumor development. Exposure to some kinds of radiation, including prior cancer treatment, can increase your risk. And they are more common in women than men. Statistically, in adults, age increases your risk of having a primary brain tumor. We often just don't know why primary brain tumors form. More often, the tumor is known as a secondary or metastatic brain tumor - the result of cancer from elsewhere in the body that is spread to the brain. Tumors that originate in the brain or surrounding tissues are known as primary brain tumors. This means the mass is composed of abnormal cells that will continue to spread and invade to other tissues. In other words, it's an overgrowth of cells that produces a mass. And since the brain is the control center for the rest of our bodies, this can affect all kinds of other functions.
These cells collect into a mass, in this case, in various parts of the brain. Sometimes this DNA mutates and tells cells to duplicate abnormally, dividing rapidly and living longer than healthy cells are supposed to. First, let's talk about what a brain tumor is. Whether you're looking for answers for yourself or someone you love, we are here to give you the best information available. In this video, we'll cover the basics of brain tumors: What is a brain tumor? Who gets it? The symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Alyx Porter, a neuro-oncologist at Mayo Clinic.
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