People with brain tumors have several treatment options. Depending on the
tumor type and stage, patients may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy,
or chemotherapy. Some patients receive a combination of treatments.
In addition, at any stage of disease, patients may have treatment to control
pain and other symptoms of the cancer, to relieve the side effects of therapy,
and to ease emotional problems. This kind of treatment is called symptom
management, supportive care, or palliative care.
The doctor is the best person to describe the treatment choices and discuss
the expected results.
A patient may want to talk to the doctor about taking part in a clinical
trial, which is a research study of new treatment methods. The section on "The
Promise of Cancer Research" has more information about clinical trials.
Surgery is the usual treatment for most brain tumors. Surgery to open
the skull is called a craniotomy. It is performed under general anesthesia.
Before surgery begins, the scalp is shaved. The surgeon then makes an incision
in the scalp and uses a special type of saw to remove a piece of bone from the
skull. After removing part or all of the tumor, the surgeon covers the opening
in the skull with that piece of bone or with a piece of metal or fabric. The
surgeon then closes the incision in the scalp.
These are some questions a person may want to ask the doctor before having
surgery:
How will I feel after the operation?
What will you do for me if I have pain?
How long will I be in the hospital?
Will I have any long-term effects? Will my hair grow back? Are there any
side effects from using metal or fabric to replace the bone in the skull?
When can I get back to my normal activities?
What is my chance of a full recovery?
Sometimes surgery is not possible. If the tumor is in the brain stem or
certain other areas, the surgeon may not be able to remove the tumor without
damaging normal brain tissue. Patients who cannot have surgery may receive
radiation or other treatment.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to
kill tumor cells. The radiation may come from x-rays, gamma rays, or protons. A
large machine aims radiation at the tumor and the tissue close to it. Sometimes
the radiation may be directed to the entire brain or to the spinal cord.
Radiation therapy usually follows surgery. The radiation kills tumor cells
that may remain in the area. Sometimes, patients who cannot have surgery have
radiation therapy instead.
The patient goes to a hospital or clinic for radiation therapy. The treatment
schedule depends on the type and size of the tumor and the age of the patient.
Each treatment lasts only a few minutes.
Doctors take steps to protect the healthy tissue around the brain tumor:
Fractionation - Radiation therapy usually is given five days a week
for several weeks. Giving the total dose of radiation over an extended
period helps to protect healthy tissue in the area of the tumor.
Hyperfractionation - The patient gets smaller doses of radiation
two or three times a day instead of a larger amount once a day.
Stereotactic radiation therapy - Narrow beams of radiation are
directed at the tumor from different angles. For this procedure, the patient
wears a rigid head frame. An MRI or CT scan creates pictures of the tumor's
exact location. The doctor uses a computer to decide on the dose of
radiation needed, as well as the sizes and angles of the radiation beams.
The therapy may be given during a single visit or over several visits.
3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy - A computer creates a
3-dimensional image of the tumor and nearby brain tissue. The doctor aims
multiple radiation beams to the exact shape of the tumor. The precise focus
of the radiation beams protects normal brain tissue.
Proton beam radiation therapy - The source of radiation is protons
rather than x-rays. The doctor aims the proton beams at the tumor. Protons
can pass through healthy tissue without damaging it.
These are some questions a person may want to ask the doctor before having
radiation therapy:
Why do I need this treatment?
When will the treatments begin? When will they end?
How will I feel during therapy? Are there side effects?
What can I do to take care of myself during therapy?
How will we know if the radiation is working?
Will I be able to continue my normal activities during treatment?
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, is sometimes used
to treat brain tumors. The drugs may be given by mouth or by injection. Either
way, the drugs enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. The drugs
are usually given in cycles so that a recovery period follows each treatment
period.
Chemotherapy may be given in an outpatient part of the hospital, at the
doctor's office, or at home. Rarely, the patient may need to stay in the
hospital.
Children are more likely than adults to have chemotherapy. However, adults
may have chemotherapy after surgery and radiation therapy.
For some patients with recurrent cancer of the brain, the surgeon removes the
tumor and implants several wafers that contain chemotherapy. Each wafer is about
the size of a dime. Over several weeks, the wafers dissolve, releasing the drug
into the brain. The drug kills cancer cells.
Patients may want to ask these questions about chemotherapy:
Why do I need this treatment?
What will it do?
Will I have side effects? What can I do about them?
Brain Tumor - Symptoms at Onset of DiseaseQuestion: The symptoms of brain tumor can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?
Headaches can be divided into two categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are considered primary headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by disease. Headache symptoms vary with the headache type. Over-the-counter pain relievers provide short-term relief for most headaches.
Edema is the swelling of tissues as a result of excess water accumulations. Peripheral edema occurs in the feet and legs. There are two types of edema, non-pitting edema and pitting edema. Causes of pitting edema is caused by systemic diseases, most commonly involving the heart, liver, and kidneys. Local conditions that cause edema are thrombophlebitis and varicose veins. Edema is generally treated with medication.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There are different criteria classification schemes for dementias such as cortical, subcortical, progressive, primary, and secondary dementias. Other conditions and medication reactions can also cause dementia. Dementia is diagnosed based on a certain set of criteria. Treatment for dementia is generally focused on the symptoms of the disease.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized. There are many causes of epilepsy. Treatment of epilepsy (seizures) depends upon the cause and type of seizures experienced.
Hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain. The fluid is often under increased pressure and can compress and damage the brain. Symptoms of hydrocephalus vary with age, progression of the disease, and individual tolerance to the condition. Hydrocephalus is most often treated by surgery in which a shunt system is inserted.
Encephalopathy means brain disease, damage, or malfunction. Causes of encephalopathy are varied and numerous. The main symptom of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Other symptoms include lethargy, dementia, seizures, tremors, and coma. Treatment of encephalopathy depends on the type of encephalopathy (anoxia, diabetic, Hashimoto's, hepatic, hyper - hypotensive, infectious, metabolic, infections, uremic, or Wernicke's) are examples of types of encephalopathy.
Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis include nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infection, fever, painful urination, increased urinary frequency and urgency, flank pain, and swelling of the abdomen. Treatment of hydronephrosis depends on the cause.
Cancers that form from brain tissue are called primary brain tumors. Brain tumors may be malignant (brain cancer) or benign. Certain risk factors, such as working in an oil refinery, as a chemist, or embalmer, increase the likelihood of developing brain cancer. Symptoms include headaches, weakness, seizures, difficulty walking, blurry vision, nausea and vomiting, and changes in speech, memory, or personality. Treatment may involve surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
Hypothermia is having a body core temperature of less than 35 C or 95 F. Most causes of hypothermia are preventable. Risk factors for hypothermia include age, mental status, medical conditions, and medications. Symptoms of hypothermia generally depend upon the severity of the condition. Treatment depends upon the severity of hypothermia. If not treated early, hypothermia can lead to cardiac arrest, coma, or death.
A brain hemorrhage is a type of stroke caused when an artery bursts in the brain, causing localized bleeding in the surrounding tissue. Causes of brain hemorrhage include aneurysm, liver disease, brain tumor, head trauma, high blood pressure, and blood vessel abnormalities. Symptoms include sudden severe headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of balance, tingling, numbness, vision changes, loss of consciousness, and loss of fine motor skills. Treatment depends upon the cause, location, and size of the brain hemorrhage.
Psychotic disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affect the mind. Different types of psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, shared psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, substance-induced psychotic disorder, paraphrenia, and psychotic disorders due to medical conditions.
Nausea and vomiting are symptoms that may be caused by many conditions. Antiemetics are drugs that treat nausea and vomiting. Though some antiemetics for motion sickness and mild nausea are available over the counter (OTC), most require a medical evaluation and prescription.
Hiccups are a sudden, involuntary contraction of the diaphragm muscle. In general hiccups are just a temporary condition. Some of the causes of hiccups include certain medications, surgery, eating or drinking too much, spicy foods, diseases or conditions that irritate the nerves controlling the diaphragm, strokes, brain tumors, liver failure, and noxious fumes.
Aphasia is a condition that is the result of damage to portions of the brain. It can be caused by stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or infection. There are two types of aphasia, fluent and non-fluent. Some patients may fully recover from aphasia over time, while others may not.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
People who have bladder spasms, the sensation occurs suddenly and often severely. A spasm itself is the sudden, involuntary squeezing of a muscle. A bladder spasm, or "detrusor contraction," occurs when the bladder muscle squeezes suddenly without warning, causing an urgent need to release urine. The spasm can force urine from the bladder, causing leakage. When this happens, the condition is called urge incontinence or overactive bladder.
Adult brain tumors are diseases in which cancer (malignant) cells begin to grow in the tissues of the brain. The brain controls memory and learning, senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch), and emotion. It also controls other parts of the body, including muscles, organs, and blood vessels. Tumors that start in the brain are called primary brain tumors.
Pseudotumor Cerebri (intracranial hypertension) is a condition where there is an increase in pressure of fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF) mimicing a brain tumor. The cause is unknown. The most common symptom is headache but also include eye-pain, vision loss and double vision. Pseudotumor cerebri is diagnosed with MRI or CAT scans and treated by discontinuing offending medications (if applicable), weight loss and diuretic medications. The condition can also be helped by repeated drainage of spinal fluid using the lumbar puncture.
Double vision (diplopia) is a symptom that my indicate Graves' disease, myasthenia gravis, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, diabetes, cataracts, aneurysm, brain tumor, or migraine. Symptoms and signs include eye pain, droopy eyelids, nausea, headache, and a cross-eyed appearance. Treatment of double vision depends upon the underlying cause.
Kids get headaches and migraines too. Many adults with headaches started having them as kids, in fact, 20% of adult headache sufferers say their headaches started before age 10, and 50% report their headaches started before age 20.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
Fast food consumption and lack of exercise are just a couple of causes of childhood obesity. Health effects of childhood obesity include type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, asthma, sleep apnea, gallstones, fatty liver disease, GERD, depression, and eating disorders.
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