Brain tumors are the growth of abnormal cells within or around the brain are unnatural and uncontrolled , but these tumors do not always turn out to be cancerous or malignant .
There are various types of brain tumors are differentiated into two groups on the basis of its development , which is a benign tumor that is not cancerous and malignant tumors that cause cancer . Tumors that originate from the brain known as primary brain tumors , while cancer that begins in other parts of the body and spread to the brain is called secondary or metastatic brain tumors .
Levels of brain tumors are divided from level 1 to level 4. These groupings are based on the behavior of the tumor itself, such as the rate of growth and how its spread. Brain tumors are classified as benign and malignant potential are at levels 1 and 2. While at levels 3 and 4, usually have the potential to become cancerous and are often referred to as malignant brain tumors or brain cancer.
Following are the various types of benign brain tumors by location of the brain cell growth, namely:
In addition to the types of tumors above, there is also a tumor composed of a combination of several types of tumors, or tumors with a combination of different levels. Handling is done very dependent on tumor malignancy, tumor location is located, and also the condition of your health.
- Gliomas. Tumors were located in the glial tissue (tissue that binds nerve cells and fibers) and spinal cord. Most brain tumors that occur is the type of glioma.
- Meningioma. This tumor occurs in the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord. Most of these tumors are not cancerous.
- Hemangioma. Tumors that occur in the blood vessels of the brain. This condition can cause partial paralysis and convulsions.
- Acoustic neuroma. Tumor that grows on the acoustic nerve that helps control the balance and hearing.
- Pituitary adenoma. Tumours in the pituitary gland (a small gland located below the brain). Most of these tumors are benign tumor types and can affect the pituitary hormone with effects throughout the body.
- Craniopharyngioma. Tumors that tend to occur in children, adolescents, and young people, is near the base of the brain.
- Medulloblastoma. It is a type of tumor is the most common cancer in children. Tumors starting from the back of the onion of the brain and tend to spread to the spinal fluid. It is rare in adults, but this condition can arise.
- PNETs (primitive neuroectodermal tumors). Types of rare tumors that are cancerous and begin fetal cells in the brain. This type of tumor can occur anywhere in the brain.
- Germ cell tumors. This type of tumor usually develops when childhood when the testicles or ovaries begin to form. But this type of tumor can move to other body parts such as the brain.
This page is specifically discusses the brain tumor (benign) stage 1 and 2. Please read brain cancer to know more about malignant brain tumor.
Symptoms of Brain Tumor
Symptoms of brain tumors are very different from one another. Symptoms appear influenced by the size, rate of growth, and location of the tumor. Tumors that grow slowly initially may not cause any symptoms. After some time, the tumor will put pressure on the brain that cause symptoms such as seizures and headaches. Brain tumors are located at a given location can interrupt system of the brain to function properly.
Cause Brain Tumors
Until now the main cause of most benign brain tumors remains unknown. Certain hereditary factors as well as the side effects of radiotherapy procedures can increase your risk of developing a brain tumor. There are several factors that can increase the risk of brain tumors.
Brain Tumor Treatment
Diagnosis and treatment are done early will facilitate the handling of the brain tumor. If not promptly treated, this condition can become more serious. Brain tumors usually do not spread out and just stay in one place only, but brain tumors can put pressure and damage the surrounding area. Treatment depends on the type, size, and location of the tumor.
Tumor removal surgery procedures performed on benign brain tumors are generally successfully treated and the tumor does not reappear. As a result, this condition does not cause the problem continues later on.
While in the second stage of glioma brain tumors, tumors often grow back after treatment. In addition, these conditions also has the potential to turn into a malignant brain tumor dissemination and faster growth.
To help the recovery process, the doctor would suggest some kind of therapy. You can talk about the emotional impact of the diagnosis and treatment of tumors with counseling.
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Symptoms of Brain Tumor
Symptoms and signs of brain tumors are very diverse and depend on the size, location, and the growth rate of the tumor itself. Initially, slow-growing tumors may not cause symptoms or signs. When brain tumors began to put pressure on the brain, or make the most of brain function can not work properly, the symptoms will begin to appear.
The tumor site in the brain will affect the symptoms caused. Here are some of the locations of tumors in the brain, followed by symptoms that may occur.
There are several symptoms that appear when the tumor pathway led to the rise of pressure inside the skull:
- Cerebellum or cerebellum. Tumors in this section may lead to loss of function of coordination, difficulty walking and talking, constantly blinking eyes, stiff neck, and vomiting.
- Brainstem. Tumors in this area can lead to difficulty walking, muscle paralysis in the face, shaded view, as well as difficulty speaking and swallowing.
- Frontal lobe. Tumors in this section can cause changes in a person's attitude, loss of sense of smell, and experienced weakness on one side of the body.
- Parietal lobe. Tumors in this area can lead to difficulty speaking, understanding the words, writing, reading, and controlling movement. One part of the body may also experience numbness.
- Occipital lobe. Tumors in this section can cause loss of vision on one side.
- Temporal lobe. Tumors in this area can lead to convulsions, fainting, speech disorders and memory, and the sense of smell strange.
Immediately see a doctor in case of symptoms of dizziness and headaches are severe and sustained without any obvious cause, especially if accompanied by vomiting.
- Dizziness or severe headache and sustainable.
- The occurrence of epilepsy or seizures.
- Drowsiness.
- Irritable and tend to be indifferent.
- Hallucinating.
- Changes characters.
- Impaired or partial loss of the sense of hearing or sight.
- Disruption in the balance of the body.
- Difficulty speaking.
- Hand or foot movement began to fail.
Cause Brain Tumors
People who experienced a primary brain tumor, the tumor that first appeared in the brain or the tissue surrounding the brain, does not have an obvious cause. Primary brain tumors begin to emerge when normal cells undergo a mistake or mutation in DNA. Mutations that make cells grow and multiply in the faster rate and stay alive when healthy cells are already dead. Result is a buildup of abnormal cells and form tumors.
Primary brain tumors of this type is less common than secondary brain tumors, namely a brain tumor as a result of cancer that starts from the rest of the body and then spreads to the brain.
There are several factors that may increase your risk of developing a brain tumor, among others:
Secondary brain tumors are more common. This condition tends to occur in people who have a history of cancer. Here are some cancers that can cause secondary brain tumors.
- Age. The risk of brain tumors will increase as you age because of brain tumors are more common in older people. But we need to realize that brain tumors can occur at any age. There are several types of tumors that appear only in children.
- Heredity. If there is a family who suffered a brain tumor, then a person's risk for brain tumors is higher. There are several hereditary diseases that could increase the risk of benign brain tumors, such as neurofibromatosis, Turcot syndrome, von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, Gorlin syndrome, Li-Fraumeni cancer syndrome. These conditions tend to cause glioma that appears in childhood and early adolescence. But in general, most of the new glioma appears in adulthood.
- Exposure to radiation. Exposure to a type of radiation known as ionizing radiation can increase the risk of brain tumors. Ionizing radiation can affect humans when they undergo radiation therapy or exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb explosion. Wave radiation are common, such as the electrical towers, cell phones, and microwave is not shown to be associated with brain tumors.
Brain Tumor Diagnosis
- Bowel cancer.
- Breast cancer.
- Kidney cancer.
- Melanoma.
- Lung cancer.
Brain tumors are diagnosed based on your symptoms, examination, and the results of some tests run. If you experience severe headaches and sustainable, and suspected him of being a brain tumor symptoms, see your doctor. The doctor will examine your condition and may advise you to see a specialist.
Increased pressure in the skull is just one sign of the appearance of tumors in the brain. The doctor will look at and check if there is a change on the back of the eye. If the doctor suspects that there is growing tumor, you'd be advised to see a specialist or neurologist brain and nerves.
The specialist will ask about symptoms experienced and your medical history as well. Inspections will be conducted on the nervous system through tests like below.
Here are some common tests used to diagnose brain tumors, namely:
- Hearing and vision tests.
- Reaction and reflex tests, such as swallowing and force the knee.
- Tests on the muscles of the face, such as smiling and grinning.
- Test the strength of the body.
- Tests of balance and coordination.
- Mental tests.
- Skin sensitivity test.
Brain Tumor Treatment
- CT scan. The imagery of the brain will be demonstrated by means of X-ray.
- MRI. The imagery of the brain will be demonstrated by using a powerful magnetic field and radio waves.
- EEG. Will be recorded brain activity using electrodes.
- Biopsy. If a tumor is suspected, a biopsy or tissue sampling will be conducted to determine the type of tumor and the best treatment to be done.
Treatment performed on brain tumors is highly dependent on the type, size, and location of the tumor. General health condition will also be considered in treatment.
The surgical procedure is usually sufficient to remove most cases of benign brain tumor. But special tumor that grows slowly or glioma, will usually grow back after treatment and potentially become malignant (cancerous). Malignant tumors are likely to spread and grow rapidly. Be sure to conduct surveillance on a regular basis even if you've completed treatment for a benign tumor.
Usually you will be accompanied by a team of specialists to determine the best treatment procedures in dealing with your condition. You can also discuss the advantages and disadvantages that come from each of the treatment procedure to be taken.
Here are some procedures that can be done to overcome a brain tumor.
Recovery process
- Drugs. You will be given medication to help treat the symptoms caused by the tumor, both before and after surgery. Examples of drugs to be administered is anticonvulsants to prevent seizures and corticosteroids to reduce swelling around the tumor.
- Surgical removal of the tumor. Operation aimed to remove as much tumor as possible without damaging surrounding tissue.
- Radiosurgery. Sometimes the tumor appears in the hard part removed without damaging surrounding tissue. In this condition, the radiosurgery procedure done to overcome the existing tumor. High energy radiation directed at the tumor to kill the tumor cells. The procedure and recovery time of radiosurgery very quickly. But not all hospitals have this method.
- Chemotherapy. This procedure is done to shrink the tumor is benign. This process uses drugs to kill tumor cells and administered in the form of tablets, injections, or infusion.
- Radiotherapy. This procedure is also useful to shrink the tumor is benign. The process uses energy radiation (usually X-rays) to kill tumor cells.
To help the recovery process, the doctor will advise you to undergo physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Recommended therapy will be adjusted so that you can overcome the problems caused by the tumor. Here are some techniques that do to help the recovery process.
During the recovery process, you might have epilepsy for six months after the surgical procedure. It is rare, epilepsy can last more than six months.
- Physiotherapy. The specialist physiotherapy will help you use the parts of the body that have been affected by the tumor.
- Occupational therapy. The specialist will help provide advice on equipment and replacement equipment in the home or office in facilitating the activities of daily living.
- Speech therapy. This therapy helps you solve glitches or problems in speaking or swallowing.
After undergoing brain tumor surgery, the patient will require adjustments in most daily activities, for example:
- Driving and traveling. We recommend that you stop driving if it is or was suffering from a brain tumor. Consultation with the treating doctor, there was a chance you could be driving back. Travelling with the new aircraft will be allowed to go back at least three months after treatment.
- Back to work. You will find it easier to fatigue. It is advisable to work part-time when I started back to work. You can do a full-time job once you feel ready.
- Sexual activity. Having sex once declared safe treatment done for patients with benign brain tumor. Especially for women, are advised to continue to use contraceptives for a year after chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The doctor will discuss the impact of each drug that you consume.
- Exercising. Should avoid sports that involve direct physical contact, such as boxing. You need the consent of your doctor if you want to restart a physical contact sport. At least for one year after treatment, you are advised not to swim without supervision because there is a risk of having a seizure while in the water.
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