| Malignant brain tumors occur in about 4.5 people per | | | | around the brain or spinal cord, account for about |
| 100,000 population, they may occur at any age but | | | | 20% of brain cancers and are generally more benign. |
| brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related | | | | TREATMENT OF BRAIN TUMORS |
| death in patients younger than age 35. In adults, | | | | How to treat brain tumors depends on the age of |
| incidence is generally highest between ages 40 to 60. | | | | the patient, the stage of the disease, the type and |
| There are two main types of brain cancer. Primary | | | | location of the tumor, and whether the cancer is a |
| brain tumors start in the brain. Metastatic brain | | | | primary tumor or brain metastases. Brain cancer and |
| tumours start somewhere else in the body and | | | | brain tumors are somewhat unique because of the |
| moves to the brain. The most common tumor types | | | | blood brain barrier, which severely restricts the types |
| in adults are gliomas and meningiomas. In children, | | | | of substances in the bloodstream that are allowed by |
| incidence is generally highest before age 1 and again | | | | the body into the brain and makes drug treatment |
| between ages 2 and 12. The most common types of | | | | extremely difficult. Because of this more and more |
| brain tumour in children are astrocytomas, | | | | research is being undertaken in delivering medication |
| medulloblastomas, ependymomas and brain stem | | | | by means of nanoparticles, amongst the properties |
| gliomas. | | | | of nanoparticles that make them ideal candidates for |
| CAUSES OF BRAIN CANCER | | | | recognizing and treating brain cancer, their ability to |
| What causes brain cancer is not exactly known but | | | | deliver a wide variety of payloads across the |
| there has recently been a great deal of speculation | | | | blood-brain barrier is perhaps the most important. |
| on the role of cell phone radiation in the development | | | | Brain cancer's location and ability to spread quickly |
| of brain cancer. In fact, while studies generally have | | | | makes treatment with surgery or radiation like |
| shown no link between cell phones and brain cancer, | | | | fighting an enemy hiding out among minefields and |
| there is some conflicting scientific evidence that may | | | | caves, and explains why the term brain cancer is all |
| be worth additional study, according to the FDA. | | | | too often associated with the word inoperable. |
| More accepted risk factors for brain cancer include; | | | | Brain cancer survival statistics for the deadliest of |
| exposure to vinyl chloride and individuals with risk | | | | tumors such as gliomas have not improved |
| factors such as having a job in an oil refinery, as a | | | | significantly over the past two decades and the |
| chemist, embalmer, or rubber industry worker show | | | | clinical armamentarium is, to a large extent, still |
| higher rates of brain cancer. Other risk factors such | | | | dependent on surgery and radiation therapy, |
| as smoking, radiation exposure, and viral infection | | | | treatments known to leave survivors with |
| (HIV) have been suggested but not proven to cause | | | | devastating cognitive deficits. Gamma knife surgery is |
| brain cancer. Patients with a history of melanoma, | | | | a radiosurgery technique used to treat people with |
| lung, breast, colon, or kidney cancer are at risk for | | | | brain cancer and other neurological disorders |
| secondary brain cancer. | | | | The most deadly form of brain cancer may be |
| SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BRAIN CANCER | | | | treatable with a vaccine that uses proteins. Unlike |
| Onset of symptoms is usually insidious and brain | | | | measles or mumps vaccines, which are meant to |
| tumors are often misdiagnosed. Brain Cancers cause | | | | prevent disease, the brain cancer vaccine turns on |
| central nervous system changes by invading and | | | | the patient's own immune system so it will help kill |
| destroying tissues and by secondary effects such as | | | | the tumor. When the vaccine is injected, it stimulates |
| pressure on the brain. Symptoms vary but in general, | | | | the immune system to kill off brain cancer cells and |
| brain cancer symptoms include: Abnormal pulse and | | | | prevent the regrowth of tumors that have already |
| breathing rates, deep, dull headaches that recur often | | | | been treated. |
| and persist without relief for long periods of time, | | | | PROGNOSIS |
| difficulty walking or speaking, dizziness, eyesight | | | | The chances of surviving for a person with a brain |
| problems including double vision, seizures, vomiting | | | | tumor: Prognosis greatly depends on all of the |
| and at the late stages of the disorder dramatic | | | | following: type of tumor extent of the disease size |
| changes in blood pressure may occur. Although | | | | and location of the tumor presence or absence of |
| headaches are often a symptom of brain cancer, it is | | | | metastasis the tumor's response to therapy, age, |
| important to remember that most headaches are | | | | overall health, and medical history, tolerance of |
| due to less serious conditions such as migraine or | | | | specific medications, procedures, or therapies. |
| tension, not cancer. | | | | Metastatic brain cancer indicates advanced disease |
| DIAGNOSIS OF BRAIN CANCERS | | | | and has a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, the most |
| In most cases a definitive diagnosis is made by a | | | | common form of primary brain cancer, glioblastoma, |
| tissue biopsy. Other diagnostic tools include; patient | | | | is also the most aggressive and lethal but teratomas |
| history, a neurologic assessment, skull x-rays, a brain | | | | and other germ cell tumors although they have the |
| scan, CT scan, MRI, a lumbar puncture and cerebral | | | | capacity to grow very large may have a more |
| angiography. Meningiomas, arising from the covering | | | | favorable prognosis. |