More than 17,000 people in the United States are diagnosed each year with a brain tumor. Some tumors are benign (noncancerous). Noncancerous tumors can usually be removed and are not likely to recur. Other tumors are malignant (cancerous). These tumors interfere with vital functions and are life threatening. Cancerous brain tumors usually grow rapidly, crowding and invading tissue. Primary brain tumors (gliomas) start in the brain and affect the central nervous system (CNS). They can be noncancerous or cancerous. Secondary brain tumors, which are 10 times more common, are cancers that originated elsewhere in the body and have metastasized (spread) to the brain. Secondary tumors are about 3 times more common than primary tumors of the brain. ********************************************* A brain tumor can be accompanied by the following signs and symptoms: Loss of appetite (my Mum has this) Headaches that often are worse in the morning (my Mum has this) Seizures (convulsions) (Mum has had this) Nausea or vomiting (my Mum has this) Weakness or loss of feeling in the arms or legs (my Mum has this) Stumbling or lack of coordination when walking (my Mum has this) Abnormal eye movements or changes in vision (my Mum has this) Drowsiness (my Mum has this) Changes in personality or memory (my Mum has this) Changes in speech (my Mum has this at times) Changes in hearing Changes in mood (my Mum has this) Changes in mental capacity and concentration (my Mum has this) ********************************************* Your health care provider may prescribe the following therapies: Steroids, to relieve swelling Anticonvulsants, to prevent or control seizures Radiation therapy, to destroy tumor tissue that cannot be removed with surgery or to kill cancer cells that may remain after surgery, or when surgery is not possible Chemotherapy, to kill cancer cells Brachytherapy, to destroy tumor cells from the inside (internal radiation therapy) Bevacizumab (avastin), a biologic drug that blocks the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors Immunotherapy, including cytokine therapy, passive immunotherapy, and active immunotherpy, which help bolster the immune system to fight the tumor. Source: Brain cancer | University of Maryland Medical Center umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/brain-cancer#ixzz2gkOoqxjx University of Maryland Medical Center Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on Facebook
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 10:22:38 +0000
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