A brain tumor is when there is an abnormal growth in the brain that could or could not be cancerous. In other words, if it is cancerous, it is malignant; if it is not cancerous, it is benign. A tumor is a collection of mutated cells that divide much faster than regular cells. As the tumor cells continue to divide, it grows in size. To begin with, they are incredibly tiny and might never be noticed; however, as time progresses, they can grow to be very sizeable.
There are two types of brain tumors. The first is a tumor that starts in the brain tissue. This is known as a primary tumor. These tumors are either benign or malignant. A secondary tumor is one that starts elsewhere in the body, has become malignant, and has since metastasized. That means that the cancer cells have reached the lymph nodes and have spread around the entire body. When the tumor begins to develop in the brain, it still carries the name of the original cancer. So, a lung cancer that spreads to the brain is still known as lung cancer.
Because the brain is single handedly the most important organ in the body, when there is a tumor in it, people tend to get very worried. Because of this, whenever any symptoms that could be linked to a brain tumor pop up, it is imperative that the individual see a doctor immediately. The doctor will run different tests (such as MRIs, CT scans and other scans) to see what is going on in the brain. If the doctor sees a tumor developing, he will then determine the course of action to get rid of it.
For most brain tumors, the method of getting rid of it is to do surgery. However, brain surgery is incredibly dangerous and requires a very skilled surgeon. Other potential treatments are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These are typically used before surgery to try and shrink the tumor down in size. A smaller tumor is much easier to remove than a larger one.
Symptoms of Brain Tumor
Based on the size and location of the brain tumor determine the type of symptoms an individual is going to have. Some symptoms are caused because the tumor has pressed against a nerve or destroyed portions of the brain. Other symptoms appear because of fluid appearing in the brain and the entire brain beginning to swell. Regardless, these are the most common brain tumor symptoms to pay attention for:
- Headaches that are the worst in the morning
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Speech changes, slurring of words, difficult annunciating
- Vision and hearing begin to deteriorate
- Motor-function skills become weak. Balancing becomes an issue. Walking is more difficult
- Personality, mood and concentration abilities change
- Memory begins to disappear
- Sudden and random jerking
- Seizures and convulsions
- Numbness in the arms and legs
- Tingling in the arms and legs
