Brain Tumour: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
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Brain Tumour: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
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What is a brain tumour?
A brain tumour is a growth/lump in the brain which can be benign or malignant. It occurs when brain cells divide and grow in an uncontrolled way. The reason behind the sudden growth in brain cells which become cancerous or benign tumours is not known.
According to the experts, there are over 130 different primary brain and spinal tumours which can be grouped and named according to:
- the type of cell they grow from
- the location where they grow in the brain
- how swiftly they grow and spread
What are the causes of a brain tumour?
The risk factors of a brain tumour are:
- a family history of brain tumour (genetics)
- Radiation
- A previous history of cancers
- Existing health conditions such as HIV/AIDS
- Being overweight
Who is prone to a brain tumour?
Some people may be more susceptible to a brain tumour than others, they include:
- People who have a family history of brain tumours
- People suffering from some pre-existing health conditions such as :
- neurofibromatosis (NF)
- HIV/AIDS
- People who have a previous history of cancers
- People who are overweight
What are the symptoms of a brain tumour?
The symptoms of a brain tumour include:
- Severe headaches, which can get worse
- Seizures including motor seizures, i.e. sudden involuntary movements of a person’s muscles.
- Personality or memory changes
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Sleep problems
- Memory issues
- Issues with the ability to walk and perform daily activities
- Symptoms that may be specific to the location of the tumour include:
- Pressure or a headache near the tumour
- Loss of balance
- Changes in mental alertness and reasoning capabilities. Sluggishness and muscle weakness or paralysis is associated with a tumour in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum.
- Partial or complete loss of vision is caused by a tumour in the occipital lobe or temporal lobe of the cerebrum.
- Changes in speech, hearing, memory, or emotional states
- Problems in understanding or retrieving words
- Altered perception of touch or pressure, arm or leg weakness on 1 side of the body
- Inability to look upward
- Difficulty swallowing, facial weakness or numbness, or double vision is a symptom of a tumour in the brain stem.
- Vision changes, including loss of part of the vision or double vision, can be from a tumour in the temporal lobe, occipital lobe, or brain stem.
How is a brain tumour diagnosed?
A brain tumour can be diagnosed by a neurosurgeon or a neurologist. The only reliable way to accurately diagnose a brain tumour is to examine a sample of a tumour under a microscope, which is the biopsy procedure.
Once the doctor suspects a brain tumour the tests that are suggested include:
- MRI scan
- CT Scan
- PET scan
- Angiography
- SPECT
What are the complications of a brain tumour?
The complications of a brain tumour include:
- Depression
- Loss of some brain capacity or mental function
- Fatigue
- Seizures
- Headaches
- Hearing loss
- Speech problems
- Muscle paralysis
- Nutrition depletion
- Cognitive delay
- Abnormal growth
- Hormone deficiencies
- Visual and auditory problems
- The possibility of developing a second cancer
- Learning disabilities
- Delayed or early puberty
- Physical disabilities
- Diabetes
- Emotional problems linked to the stress of diagnosis and treatment
What is the treatment for a brain tumour?
Treatment for a brain tumour depends on several factors such as:
- The size, type, and grade of a tumour
- Whether a tumour is putting pressure on vital parts of the brain
- How swiftly is a tumour spreads to other parts of the brain
- Possible side effects
- The patient’s overall health condition
The various treatment options include:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Alternating electric field therapy
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Did you know?
Second leading cause of cancer related deaths
Brain tumors are the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in people under the age of 20, and the leading cause of cancer-related death in people under the age of 14.
Both Malignant and benign tumours can be life threatening
Over 120 different types of brain tumors have been identified, making universally effective treatments complicated. Both malignant and benign tumors can be life-threatening.
Brain tumour symptoms
While the cause of primary brain tumors is unknown, some symptoms include recurrent headaches, seizures, personality changes, eye weakness, nausea or vomiting, difficulty speaking or comprehending, and short-term memory loss.
Early symptoms of a brain tumour
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I can understand your concern.
Surely, you need to take your mother in law to a good cancer hospital, meet a neurosurgeon in person for further evaluation and management.
Which I'm sure you have don't or else how would you know she needs to be operated.
So you know she needs to be operated still you are waiting for us to tell that she needs to operated.
Best regards.
Dr. Anil Kumar Jain.
Bangalore.