Brain Cancer

Brain cancer is the brain disease in which malignant cells (cancer cells) start developing in the brain tissue. These cancer cells begin to form a mass of tumor (cancer tissue) that interferes with the brain functions like sensation, muscle control, normal body functions, and memory. Tumors made of cancer cells are known as malignant tumors as well as those composed of noncancerous cells are known as benign tumors.

(People Also Like To Read: Do You Know Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk of Breast Cancer)

Well, the brain cancer can arise from several different types of brain cells or can also occur when these cancer cells from another part of the body spread to the brain.

What are the Symptoms of Brain Cancer?

Following are some the symptoms of the disease including;

• Difficulty walking

• Muscle weakness

• Seizures

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Blurry vision

• Vomiting

• A change in a person’s alertness

• Fatigue

• Sleepiness

• Memory problems

• Mental capacity reduction

• Changes in the speech like difficulty speaking, inability to speak, or impaired voice

• Personality changes

• Weakness on one side of the body

• Hallucinations

What are the Causes of Brain Cancer?

There are some factors that can develop the risk of brain cancer include:

Some brain and spinal cord tumors are further commons in people with certain genetic or inherited conditions people exposed to extremely high doses of radiation to the head.

What are the Types of Brain Cancer?

According to the experts at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) there is a different type of brain cancer because every brain cancer patient is different from each other. It also has extensive experience in properly diagnosing the disease, as well as developing a treatment plan.

Primary brain tumors are formed from cells within the brain. These tumors are categorized by the type of cell in which it initially develops.

Moreover, according to the National Brain Tumor Society, there are approximately 120 types of brain tumors. The most common primary brain tumors are known as gliomas, which begin in the glial tissue. On an average, about one-third of all primary brain tumors and nervous system tumors form from these glial cells.

(You Might Also Like To Read: Know More About Possible Side Effects of Anti-Cancer Medicines)

What are the Stages of Brain Cancer?

There are total 4 stages including;

Stage I: The tissue is mild. The cells look nearly the same normal brain cells and show slow growth.

Stage II: The tissue seems dangerous. The cells look less similar to normal cells.

Stage III: The malignant tissue looks very different from normal cells. The abnormal cells grow actively and have a distinctly abnormal appearance.

Stage IV: The malignant tissue has cells that resemble most abnormal and grow quickly.

How Brain Cancer is Diagnosed?

If a brain tumor is assumed, the doctor may identify that how different parts of the brain are functioning by examining your reflexes, ability to feel pin-pricks, muscle strength, and to distinguish between hot and cold. The doctor may use an ophthalmoscope to view the optic nerve, which may swell if the pressure in the skull is raised.

These tumors are usually diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans.

Other tests that are sometimes used are:

• Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)

• Lumbar puncture

• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

• Single photon emission CT scan

What are the Treatments for Brain Cancer?

There are several options for the treatment of brain tumors like surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or steroid therapy, or maybe sometimes a combination of these treatments.

Some tumors can be removed completely by surgery, whereas postoperative radiotherapy helps in improving local control and survival. For glioblastomas, the drug temozolomide can be added during or after the radiotherapy process to improve outcomes.

If in case, a tumor cannot be removed, the goal of the treatment is to slow down the growth and to relieve symptoms by shrinking the tumor and swelling around it.

Do Cell Phones Cause Brain Cancer?

There is always an ongoing concern of people regarding the use of cell phones can cause brain cancer. Some researches suggest that avoiding the use of cell phone and having a macrobiotic diet will help in avoiding brain cancer. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), cell phones use may cause cancer because the increase in gliomas may occur with high use of cell phones. Further, the IARC identified cell phones as group 2b carcinogens, that are considered possibly carcinogenic.

Conclusion:

Brain cancer is a dangerous brain disease in which the malignant cells start growing in the brain tissue. This cancer can be treated depending on its type.

(People Also Like To Read: What is Skin Cancer? – Sign, Cause and Treatment…)