The brain is most important part of body as all thoughts, imagination and dreams are originate in the brain. It has the ability to plan, think and communicate. Hence, it is also referred as central processing unit. It plays a crucial role in various functions such as controls heartbeat, blood pressure, breathing, temperature and other important functions. In fact, it acts as a co-coordinator between all your physical and mental faculties. Hence, if something happens wrong with such an important function of our body, person needs to suffer from many problems. Brain tumor is one kind of life threatening disease. People are not much aware about the symptoms, as early symptoms are some kind of same with other diseases.
Thus, this disease is often neglected at initial stage and become severe if left untreated. Brain tumor is usually defined as an abnormal growth of cells in the brain. There are primarily two types of tumor that are primary and secondary. Tumors that begin to grow in the brain are known as primary. Whereas, the tumor spread from a cancerous part of the body to the brain are called as secondary or metastatic tumor. Different types of brain tumors occurs, some of them are noncancerous (benign), while others are cancerous (malignant). In fact, secondary tumor is always malignant.
SYMPTOMS OF BRAIN TUMOR
Each patient experiences different symptoms, Symptoms changes according to the tumor’s size, location and rate of growth. Below listed are some of the commonly observed symptoms:
- New onset or change in form of headache
- Headache that gradually become more frequent or more critical
- Unexplained Nausea
- Unexplained vomiting
- Blurred vision, double vision, loss of peripheral vision
- Raised intracranial pressure
- Uncoordinated movements in muscles
- Changes in personality or behavior
- Drowsiness
- Depression
- Irritability
- Decrease in cardiac and respiratory function
- Varied mental status
- Seizures
- Paralysis of nerves or half of the body
- Endocrine problems such diabetes or hormone regulation
- Speech difficulties
- Confusion in every matters
CAUSES OF BRAIN TUMOR
Studies have found that men’s are at a major risk of developing this life threatening disease as compared to women. These diseases not only take place among older people but also young children are suffering from this disease. Ages, gender, heredity, exposure to hazardous chemicals, viruses, injury, hormones, occupational and environmental factors are some of the risk factors that are associated with this disease.
TREATMENT TO COPE WITH BRAIN TUMOR
Usually when a brain tumor is diagnosed, a medical team is constituted in order to access the treatment options recommend by the leading surgeon to treat the patient. In this medical condition of the brain, normally the option of “do-nothing” is avoided. Neurosurgeons take enough time to observe the evolution of the tumor before suggesting a management plant to the patient and his relatives. In short, various types of treatment are decided depending on tumor type and location, and may be combined to give best possibilities of survival.
Surgery:-
Surgery is considered to be the usual course of action for most brain tumors. In order to eradicate a brain tumor, neurosurgeon induces an opening in the skull. This operation is also known as craniotomy. Mostly the surgeon tries his best to remove the entire tumor. In some cases, if the tumor is not removed completely without damaging vital brain tissue, doctor may eradicate the tumor as much as possible. Partial removal assists to get rid of symptoms by decreasing the pressure on brain and also reduce the degree of tumor to be tackled by radiation therapy or chemotherapy. In cases, when tumors are not removed, then doctors make use of biopsy method. In this method, a small piece of tumor is removed.
This method helps a pathologist to identify it under a microscope to decide the types of cells it contains. Sometimes biopsy is done with the help of needle. Doctors use variety of techniques such as head frame, CT scans or MRI in order to pinpoint the exact location of the tumor. When biopsy is done with the help of these techniques is called as stereotaxis. In addition, Brain mapping is another advance form of technique is utilized during surgery to discover functional pathways near tumor.
Radiation Therapy:-
This treatment makes utilized of high-powered rays in order to damage harmful cancer cells and basically block them from growing. It is also known by name radiotherapy. This method is believed to be quiet effective to destroy tumor tissues, which often become difficult while surgery to kill or eradicate cancer cells. Radiation therapy is used as an alternative for surgery. This particular therapy can be conducted in two ways. External radiation derives from large machine, and the treatment period of external radiation is either for 5 days or for several weeks.
In short, it depends on the type, size of tumor and age of patient. If, total dose of radiation is extended helps to protect healthy tissues that are placed in the area of tumor. Apart from these, the gamma knife and stereotactic radiosurgery are another form of treatment that is also use to treat brain tumors. The gamma knife is not a kind of a knife, but a type of radiation therapy technique, and is given one session. High energy is main vision of this treatment. However, it is observed that high dose of radiation is also beneficial as it does not cause any damage to other brain tissues.
Chemotherapy:-
This technique makes use of drugs to kill cancer cells. The doctors may utilized either one drug or in a combination, either by orally or by injection and are given in the blood vessels or muscles. Chemotherapy usually follows a cycle. Treatment period is depends on recovery. In short another treatment does not start, until one completes. In this treatment, patient needs to stay only in hospital. Since, drugs are given only in clinic. When advances are use in chemotherapy include direct placement into the tumor cavity with the help of new technique, is known as convection enhanced delivery.