This form of cancerous growth occurs anywhere on the brain and is caused due to abnormal growth of cells. Primary brain tumors occur on the brain itself while secondary tumors are caused due to spreading of cancer cells from other parts of the body that originated in an organ or bone, etc. There is no particular cause of brain tumors, though suspicions have been on exposure to severe radiation and more recently, the prolonged use of cell phones and other electronic devices. Hereditary factors can also be included and is known as neurofibromatosis. Brain tumors are not peculiar to adults only and can also affect children where the condition is known as malignant medulloblastoma that is not cancerous so it doesn’t spread to other parts of the body, but still affects the brain.
Signs and symptoms of brain tumors include severe headaches, especially in the morning followed by vomiting. Depending on the area in which the tumor has grown, there might be disturbance in normal body functioning, like blindness in the eye that is closest to the tumor or mental changes. Severe brain tumors could cause epileptic-like seizures and sometimes even unconsciousness.
As for diagnosis, In order for a medical expert to detect the tumor, there should be proper descriptions from the suspected patient about symptoms. The most common primary test done is through Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Computed Tomography (CT) scans. Here tumors can be easily located, though sometimes if it is more embedded into the brain, it will be more difficult to detect.
Treatment
Sometimes invasive probing is needed to find out where it is located and which part of the brain it is affecting. This may prove to be quite dangerous as a small abrasion on any other part of the brain may affect basic motor skills. These days there are many non-invasive therapies as well that can help eliminate the cancer-growing tumor. Like all cancers, chemotherapy is usually part of the healing process for brain cancer. Other curing procedures include radiotherapy, surgery (as mentioned earlier) as well as steroids. Surgery is very risky and should be conducted by someone who has amassed great experience in this field. Brain surgeries should only be conducted when all other modes of treatment have failed. They are usually very expensive and there is no guarantee of a full recovery. In fact, brain tumor health care is the most expensive medical procedure in several countries. However if the tumor is removed, then recurrence is almost zero.
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