What is a Brain Tumour?
A mass collection of abnormal cell or tissue growth in the brain refers to a brain tumour. This occurrence happens when there's an uncontrollable dive in brain cells and there's an excessive tissue production. The primary factor of brain tumours can come from the brain cells, it may spread from cell mutations or cancer cells from other parts of the body for example breast or lung. Brain tumour can either be benign (non-cancerous), or malignant (cancerous).
Different kinds of primary brain tumours include:
- Glioma occurs from the glial cells that support and protect the nerves
- Meningioma develops in the meninges (brain membranes)
- Medulloblastoma occurs in the cerebellum (located at the base of the brain) and common in children
Till this day, the cause of primary brain tumours are still unknown.It is more commonly known that brain tumours originate from the abnormal and uncontrollable abnormal growth in brain cells. Some risk factors include:
- Exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation (used as simultaneous cancer treatment)
- Male gender are at higher risk
- Ethnicity, Caucasians are at higher risk
- Increasing age (Over 65 years of age)
Certain hereditary factors affects your risk of developing a brain tumour such as Neurofibromatosis which is an inherited condition. Other factors include a weak immunity system. Currently, there are no known evidence to prove the use of mobile phones and microwave ovens causing brain tumours.
Common signs or symptoms might include:
- Sudden change in mental state
- Loss of balance
- Loss of consciousness
- Memory loss
- Nausea
- Speech and vision impairment
- Occurring headaches (may worse in the morning)
- Seizures
- Sudden change of mobility on one side of the body
Various treatment options are available to manage brain tumours. Get professional medical attention for your condition and your doctor will prescribe the best treatment to suit you.
This might include: To destroy cancerous brain cells, chemotherapy treatment is used either orally or through intravenous drugs. Alternatively, radiosurgery treatment is prescribed that acts as a non-invasive and painless process.This option uses precision beams targeted directly at a small are of the tumour to shrink it or prevent it from growing. High doses of energy rays through radiotherapy are used to kill cancer cells or shrink tumours. In this occasion, expect gradual hair loss and feeling lethargic. Surgical process to remove the tumour as a whole or in small masses can be done depending on the size and location in the brain. Targeted drug therapy includes drugs that target specifically abnormal tumour growth.
- Sudden allergic reaction to drugs used in the treatment of the brain tumour
- Depression
- Headaches
- Loss of hearing
- Increases risk of blood clot formation
- Personality changes
- Premature menopause and infertility (potential side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy)
- Seizures
- Blurry vision, nerve damage connecting to the visual cortex
- Weakness in one side of the body
- Mobility impairment affecting arms and legs
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