Brain cancer is a condition in which the growth of malignant tumors in the brain.
Many of us have heard of brain cancer over the years, but do you have a good knowledge about brain cancer, like what causes it, types, stages and so on? This post will give you an in-depth knowledge of brain cancer.
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Brain cancer is a condition in which the growth of malignant tumors in the brain. The disease is divided into two types. Consists of primary brain cancer (as occurs as much as 75 percent of all cases of brain tumors) for which the cause is coming from the brain, and secondary brain cancers (25 percent of all cases of brain cancer) that arises from the other parts of the body and spread to the brain.
About 40 percent of brain cancer begins from the buffer of neuron namely cell a Glial tumor. Cell U glial as are tumors of astrocytes, the tumour of the glia of the primary, oligodendrocytes glioma, meningioma ventricular, and medulloblastoma.
Type of secondary brain cancers is usually caused by the spread of other cancers, such as breast cancer, lung, kidney, colon, and melanoma on the skin. Brain cancer is a condition that can not be avoided but most can be treated if detected early.
How often does brain cancer occur?
Secondary brain cancers occur more frequently in adults. Primary brain cancer can strike anyone but is more often for children aged under 15 years and people middle-aged.
Prolonged headaches are common symptoms of brain cancer because the tumors grow pressing skull. The headache usually occurs in the morning after waking up and getting sick when coughing and sneezing.
Other symptoms depend on the location of the tumor, but also could result in changes to Your habits day-to-day. The following is a symptom of brain cancer:
Symptoms and signs of brain cancer that can occur including:
Changes in mental status. This can be in the form of changes in concentration, memory, attention, even confusion without cause.
Feel nausea and vomiting especially in the morning with that could be caused by vertigo.
Abnormalities in vision (eg, double vision, blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision)
Difficulty speaking ( caused by voice disorders).
Gradual changes in intellectual capacity or emotional. For example, it is difficult or experience the inability to speak which is followed by the not understand what his interlocutor is saying.
In many people, the above symptoms may be overlooked because the symptoms do not last significantly. The symptoms of brain cancer can grow and the long-running, but sometimes, these symptoms can also appear faster.
In some cases, people may think the symptoms of brain cancer the condition is stroke, but it's not. In some patients, symptoms may be more obvious, especially if the cancer is located in the lobe of the brain specific, which is usually responsible for the functioning of the body.
Other symptoms may not be mentioned above. If you have any questions about certain symptoms, immediately consult a doctor.
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Stage of development the stage of the cancer.
The growth and symptoms of brain cancer vary, depending on the stage of development of the cancer. The cells in a tumor that grows quickly and aggressively usually, if viewed in the microscope looks abnormal.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) uses a system of stadium rating to classify the malignant tumors. The following stages:
Stage I The cancer tissue in the brain is still benign. Cells look almost like the cells of the brain to normal, and the growth of the cell is likely to be slow.
Stage II The cancerous tissue has already started malignant. Cancer cells start to look not normal, unlike cancer cells stage 1.
Stage III The cancer tissue which is malignant has cells that look very different from normal cells. Abnormal cells is referred to as anaplasik and begin to grow actively at this stage.
Stage IV The cancer Tissue malignant begins to show abnormal cells clear and growing aggressive or very quickly.
To determine the growth and development of tumors in the brain, doctors focus on the characteristics of the tumor and its effect on brain function. The main factors used to assess tumors of the brain include:
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The doctor will also consider the patient's age and symptoms-symptoms of cancer in the brain. Patients will also be seen, how large the basic functions, such as speech, hearing or movement is interrupted or changed due to the cancer cells in the brain.
Determine the stage of cancer in the brain, in a way far different from the determination of the stage of the cancer another in the body.
Cancer in the lungs, large intestine, and the breast is mapped by location in the body, size, lymph node involvement, and possible spread. While malignant tumors in the brain are judged based on how aggressive (malignant) tumor cells appear under a microscope.
Level and developing ability of the tumor will help the doctor or expert make treatment decisions. Surgery depending on the condition of the tumor such as where is it located, how big or small the size is, how wide the spread of cancer cells and of course see the condition of the patient's overall health condition (including medical history).
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What are the causes of brain cancer?
Brain cancer is a condition that can not be concluded for certain. The patient can know if they experience these conditions only through the symptoms and proper diagnosis from a doctor.
The researchers found some changes that occur in brain cells of normal can cause them to form tumors and end up being the brain.
Primary brain tumors arise from many types of brain tissue (for example cells of the glia, an astrocyte, and a type of brain cell other). While metastatic brain cancer is caused by the spread of cancer cells from the organs to the brain.
However, the cause of the change of normal cells to cancer cells in metastatic brain tumors and primary is not fully understood. Data gathered by research scientists show that people with a particular risk factor is the possible risk of cancer in the brain.
Quoted from Medicine.Net, people who work or reside long in the environment such as in refineries or oil drilling, handling of fuel, chemicals, chemists, embalmers, or workers of the rubber industry, are at higher risk of developing cancer of the brain than people working in the environment in addition.
In addition, the risk of such breeds as family members who have a history of cancer in the brain can also affect. However, hereditary factors (the transition of genetic properties from parents to children) as a cause of brain tumors has not been proven.
While other risk factors such as smoking, radiation exposure, and virus infection (HIV) has been widely suspected to be the cause, but not proven to cause cancer in the brain.
There is no good evidence that the cancer is in the brain transmitted through head trauma, or caused by the use of a mobile phone. Statement aspartame or artificial sweeteners can cause cancer of the brain is also not yet proven. In fact, the FDA or equivalent FDA in the United argues that it did not cause cancer in the brain.
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What increases my risk for brain cancer?
If you feel some of the symptoms of brain cancer as mentioned above, please make schedule a consultation and examination the doctor as soon as possible. The following factors is able to increase the risk of brain cancer, in which:
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your doctor.
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What are my treatment options for brain cancer?
The following actions can be used to handle cancer of the brain include surgical removal of the tumor, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
The operation of lifting the malignant tumor in the brain is done by way of trying to raise all of the tumor cells by cutting the tumor. The doctor will leave the normal brain tissue. This surgery involves opening the skull (craniotomy), which is often referred to invasive surgery.
Some of the cancers that attack the brain not all of them can be operated on by the surgeon, because in some cases the surgery can actually cause brain got damaged even life-threatening.
Patients with a diagnosis of a brain tumor that cannot be operated on, usually will be given different advice or treatment options as an alternative.
If the patient is going to surgery, the doctor will consider the type and position of the tumor will determine whether surgical removal of the tumor can be successfully or not. In addition, surgery can also give a diagnosis of cancer and reduce the pressure on the brain.
Chemotherapy is a procedure commonly performed in the treatment of brain cancer, but not for types of primary brain tumors. The doctor will also give anti-seizure medications such as phenytoin are often used before and after surgery. For swelling of the brain, the doctor will recommend the use of steroid drugs (dexamethasone).
How to work of chemotherapy is to destroy tumor cells in the body using chemicals (drugs) certain. Chemotherapy drugs will shut down the cells that grow and divide at a speed that is abnormal, including cancer cells.
Unlike surgery or radiation therapy, chemotherapy is not targeted on an area in specific, so it can have an effect on the entire body. Because then the result will also be effective on cancer cells which have spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
Unfortunately, chemotherapy is a treatment that will also affect the cells of the body healthy quickly such as skin cells, hair, intestines, and marrow cells.
Radiotherapy is the treatment manner which rely on radiation by using a high-energy wave such as x-rays, gamma, protons, and electrons to kill cancer cells.
Although radiotherapy is most often used to treat cancer patients, but sometimes this therapy is also used to treat patients with non-cancer, such as tumors and disorders in the thyroid gland.
Radiotherapy works by damaging the DNA that regulates the division of cancer cells, so that the cell no longer can grow and even die.
This treatment can also affect the development of normal cells, but the side effects will disappear if it does not do therapy.
Unlike chemotherapy, which affects all parts of the body because it uses the bloodstream as the intermediary, radiotherapy is a local treatment that aims to lower the amount of cancer cells without damaging the cells as well as tissues that are around the cancer cells.
But radiotherapy is not always immediately successful kill cancer cells or normal cells that are growing. To make it die and not grow back, then it takes a few days or even weeks.
Normal tissues that are often affected by radiation are the tissues of the body that performs the cleavage continuously, such as the skin, some tissues in the digestive system, and bone marrow.
Therefore, side effects will arise some time after radiotherapy such as fatigue and skin problems such as itching or irritation will appear after doing therapy.
What are the medical tests used to detect brain cancer?
The only way to make sure the diagnosis is taking a sample of tissue from the tumor and do the microscope test. Testing can be done with a biopsy or surgery.
Earlier, the doctor using the image magnetic resonance (MRI) to look for cancer, while also tomography (CT)
What lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to overcome brain cancer?
Brain cancer is a disease that can be reduced risk and symptoms through haya living and home care the following:
Coordination with the doctor is included in the surgical neurons (special surgery and spine), a doctor who specializes in cancer of the nervous system, radiation therapist for cancer treatment, and your family doctor.
Do re-examination with your doctor. Can be through CT, MRI, or blood tests to check the cancer and the dose of the drug you with the right.
See your doctor as soon as possible if you experience seizures or a new headache which did not previously exist, to prevent complications of the disease.
If there are any questions, consult your doctor to get the information more clearly and find the solution that is right for you.
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