Welcome back lovely people.
This post is inspired by the loss of a friend to Brain cancer who will be laid to rest today, thanks to brain cancer.
I remember some years ago when I was searching for medical schools in some countries, my mum gave me her friends contact to call and discuss with her the possibility of joining her abroad to study.
This beautiful woman was quite helpful, she went out of her way to reach out to colleagues of hers and Professors, she thought of possible ways I could further my program, in all she was and is still a very nice kind-hearted woman.
Little did I know her only son was suffering and going away, diagnosed of brain cancer. I was sad when I heard of her son’s demise and wished He beat cancer.
A minute silence for my friend who has gone to join his creator.
I decided to put up this post to create a little awareness that brain cancer exists and I don’t want to lose another friend to cancer.
Sit back, get enlightened and don’t forget to share this post, You never know who it might help.
Brain Cancer
Brain Cancer in simple term is cancer of the brain. It can either start in the brain (primary) or start any other part of the body and spread to the brain and when it spreads, it’s known as metastatic brain cancer.
What Causes Brain Cancer?
Brain cancer is caused by abnormal growth of cells of the brain.The exact cause is still idiopathic but the following has been research-identified as possible causes:
- Genetic factors.
- Environmental toxins.
- Infections like HIV.
- Cigarette smoking.
- Radiation to the brain which could come from our electronic device.
Risk Factors
Some individuals have increased risk of suffering from cancer of the brain while some others have less risk. Those who have higher risk include people who have:
- Family history of cancer.
- Genetic mutation that causes abnormal cell growth.
- Long-term exposure to radiation from X-rays or treatment for other cancers.
- Exposure to certain chemicals (possible cause).
Signs of Brain Cancer
Symptoms can be exhibited based on the affected side of the brain. Listed are common possible symptoms:
- Seizures.
- Blurred vision on which could be peripheral vision loss or even double vision.
- Unexplained persistent nausea or vomiting.
- New pattern of headache.
- Lethargy or increased sleepiness.
- Change in mental status that includes memory problems and concentration issues.
- Confusion In everyday day matters even in minute everyday matters.
- Speech difficulties with possibility of slurred speech.
- Difficulty with balance and clumsiness.
- Personality or behavioral change.
- Hearing problem.
- Weakness.
Diagnosis of Brain Cancer
Diagnosing brain cancer starts from patient’s complaints just like any other disease out there. Where an individual visits GP with health complaints bothering him or her. Brain cancer can be diagnosed through:
Laboratory studies
- Blood analysis.
- Liver function tests.
- Electrolyte analysis.
- Lumber puncture.
Imaging Studies
- Computed tomography scan of brain.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
- Positron Emission Tomography.
- Biopsy.
Brain Cancer stages:
WHO histologic grading for CNS tumors (glioma)
Grade I:
-
Lesions with low proliferative potential, a frequently discrete nature, and the possibility of cure following surgical resection alone.
Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma
Grade II:
-
Lesions that are generally infiltrating and low in mitotic activity but recur; some tumor types tend to progress to higher grades of malignancy
-
Diffuse astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, oligoastrocytoma
Grade III:
-
Lesions with histologic evidence of malignancy, generally in the form of mitotic activity, clearly expressed infiltrative capabilities, and anaplasia
-
Anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligoastrocytoma, anaplastic oligoastrocytoma
Grade IV:
-
Lesions that are mitotically active, necrosis-prone, and generally associated with a rapid preoperative and postoperative evolution of disease
-
Glioblastoma
The numbers in the table come from the Central Brain Tumor Registry
Treatment For Brain Cancer
Treatment depends on several factors including patient age, location of the cancer, size of cancer, type of brain cancer, metastasis of the cancer and general health of the patient and of course survival rate of an individual depends on how far the cancer has spread, i.e if it’s a benign or malignant brain cancer.
Basically brain cancer treatments are grouped into:
Chemotherapy
Radiotherapy
Clinical trials
Supportive therapy from family and friends.
Individuals suffering from brain cancer or any disease require TLC, support from family, friends especially those they look up to and are always around. They are going through alot already and require constant assurance they are loved .
Survival rates for more common adult brain and spinal cord tumors
The numbers in the table come from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) and are based on people who were treated between year 2000 and 2014. As can be seen below, survival rates for brain and spinal cord tumors can vary widely by age, with younger people tending to have better outlooks than older people. The survival rate for those 65 years or older are generally lower than the rates for the younger ages listed below.
These numbers are for some of the more common types of brain and spinal cord tumors. Numbers are not readily available for all types of tumors, often because they are rare or are hard to classify.
Brain Cancer Types |
5-Year Relative Survival Rate | ||
Age | |||
20-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | |
Low-grade (diffuse) astrocytoma | 68% | 44% | 22% |
Anaplastic astrocytoma | 54% | 32% | 14% |
Glioblastoma | 19% | 8% | 5% |
Oligodendroglioma | 88% | 81% | 68% |
Anaplastic oligodendroglioma | 71% | 61% | 46% |
Ependymoma/anaplastic ependymoma | 92% | 89% | 86% |
Meningioma | 87% | 77% | 71% |
Remember, these survival rates are only estimates – they can’t predict what will happen to any individual. If you find these statistics confusing and you have more questions, talk to your doctor to better understand your specific situation.
How To Prevent Brain Cancer?
One cannot prevent a brain tumor but can reduce risk of developing a brain tumor by avoiding environmental hazards such as smoking and excessive exposure to radiation.
Brain cancer is real and it’s becoming a common type of cancer than before due to environmental and radiation interactions with human society. Early diagnosis leads to better prognosis.