Brain Tumor

Brain tumor is a mass of abnormally growing cells in the brain or skull which can lead to deadly consequences as it grows in size Where it will eventually compress and damage the brain structure.

All brain types of tumors are serious, Whether benign or malignant. They can be categorized into two types, Primary tumors which starts in brain tissue itself while secondary tumors come from metastatic cells reaching the brain from elsewhere in the body.

Signs and symptoms may include:

Headaches, Vision problems, Difficulty with balance, nausea or vomiting, Speech difficulties, Personality or memory changes, Hearing problems and Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg.

Diagnosis

• CT scan: This produces a detailed X-ray image of the brain.

• MRI scan

• EEG (electroencephalogram)

Risk factors include:

• Exposure to radiations

• Family history of brain tumors.

• Exposure to chemicals and pollutants Treatment for a brain tumor depends on the type, size and location of the tumor, as well as patient’s overall health and preferences.

1) Surgery

2) Radiation therapy: X-rays or proton beams

3) Radiosurgery

4) Chemotherapy: which includes a list of medications that can be taken orally or intravenously Including:

(Carboplatin, Carmustine, Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide, Etoposide, Irinotecan, Lomustine, Methotrexate, Procarbazine, Temozolomide and Vincristine).

Chemotherapy drugs interferes with cells cycle preventing their division (cytostatic, targeted or biologic agents) or causing cell death (cytotoxic agents).

These drugs can be used alone or in combinations, depending on the type of brain tumor however the problem is they can’t differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells and affect all of them which is why they have wide range of side effects.

5) Targeted drug therapy: uses drugs that take advantage of the differences between cancer cells and normal cells, that are now approved for brain tumors :

A) Angiogenesis inhibitors or anti-angiogenic: bevacizumab is currently approved for use in recurrent glioblastoma.

B) Signal transduction inhibitors interfere with specific tumor signaling pathways, that are critical for it’s growth and survival.

For example, Everolimus which is now approved for adult and pediatric subependymal giant cell astrocytoma.

Here are some tips to help someone live with a brain tumor:

• Set your computer or mobile to provide automatic date-and-time reminders for appointments and meetings.

• Use visual and auditory tools.

• Keep yourself open to accepting support and assistance from those who are close to you.

• Complement your treatment with exercise and a healthy die

Edited by: Dr.Pavel Jalal Hussein