Brain Tumor: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

A Brain Tumor is a growth of abnormal cells that forms a solid mass called a tumor in the brain. This solid mass may be called malignant or non-cancerous, known as benign tumors.

What are the Symptoms of a Brain Tumor?

The brain is a susceptible organ of the human body. A very slight disturbance in the brain activity may cause a major impact on the whole body’s systems. So, the patient shows symptoms very soon in case of a brain tumor. Also, signs and symptoms depend upon the location of the tumor in the brain.

The following are some typical signs the patient will exhibit.

Dizziness: The patient may experience dizziness because the tumor increases pressure on the brain tissue and interrupts the blood supply to the brain.

Lethargy/ Feeling sleepy: Less nutrition or glucose to the brain due to decreased blood supply to brain tissues may cause sleepiness and lethargy.

Headache: Increased intracranial pressure may cause headaches.

Nausea and vomiting: Increased pressure caused by brain tumors on cells causes nausea and vomiting.

Fits/seizures: Brain tumors suppress the surrounding tissues and disturb electrical activity in the brain, which causes fits or seizures.

Unconsciousness: An Interrupted blood supply due to pressure exerted by a tumor or brain cell may alter the patient’s consciousness level.

Forgetfulness: Memory changes may occur if brain cell function is altered.

What are the worsening symptoms of brain tumors?

If the brain tumor progresses patient will feel the following symptoms

• Uncontrolled nausea vomiting
• Continuous headache
• Speech problems/slurring of speech
• Paralysis of any limbs (stiffness in the neck or limbs)
• Severe memory loss
• Numbness in the arms and hands if the tumor originates in the spinal cord

What are the causes of brain tumors?

 Risk factors or causes of brain tumors are unknown, but some risk factors could be the leading cause.

 Radiation exposure: A patient who is treated with radiation is at high risk for developing brain tumors. History of cancer: Patients having other cancers, like cancer of the liver and breast, are at high risk for brain tumors as a result of metastasis.

Family History: Patients having a family risk of brain tumors are at high risk.

Diagnostic Tests:

 The brain tumor is diagnosed by the following diagnostic tests.

Physical assessment medical history: Based on the patient’s symptoms, your physician will do a complete physical and neurological assessment. Also, it will take a complete history of the patient, including family history.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI is done to detect brain tumors.

Computed Tomography Scan: A CT scan is also done for the detection of tumors in the brain in other parts of the body.

Brain Tissue Biopsy: Taking a small piece of brain tissue to test the features of the cells in it. Furthermore, it is done to diagnose whether the tumor is cancerous or not.

What are the types of Brain tumors?

There are two types

Benign Brain Tumors. These tumors are located in one specific place and do not invade other parts of the brain and spine. However, if increase in size can exert pressure on surrounding tissues and may disturb patients’ functions. Benign tumors are of many types.

Managing Benign Tumors:

Benign tumors are treated in the following ways:

Surgical Resection of Tumor: Surgery is the best option for benign tumors. In surgery, the neurosurgeon will remove as much of the tumor as possible he can without damaging other brain tissue.

Chemotherapy: The unresected part/remaining part may be treated with cytotoxic drugs called chemotherapy to shrink the size of the tumor.

Radiotherapy: If the tumor is deep in the brain tissue, then radiation therapy is given to shrink it, as radiation can go deep in the brain.

High-dose steroid therapy: High doses of steroids are administered to decrease the swelling caused by the tumor.which further decreases the other symptoms such as pain (headache), drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting.

Anti-seizure medications: seizures may be caused by the tumor, so, for the safe side, anti-seizure medications called anti-convulsants may be given to patients.

If the benign tumor size is very small and does not cause any symptoms, it can be monitored through scans over time, so, no need to have surgery or other treatments.

Malignant tumors:

Malignant tumors are called cancer tumors, which spread to other parts of the brain very quickly. It has two types.

Primary Brain Tumors:

These tumors originate in the brain and move to other parts.

Secondary Brain Tumors:

Secondary tumors move to the brain from other cancers in the body. e.g., cancer from breast or liver metastases to the brain. Mostly, the malignant tumors spread from other parts.

Management of Malignant Tumors:

Malignant brain tumors are again treated in the following ways:

Surgery: Surgery is the best option for malignant brain tumors. If the tumor size is large, it could be shrunk by administering chemotherapy first and then resecting the tumor.

Chemotherapy: According to the type of cancer cells, chemotherapy is advised to kill the cancer cells. Side effects after chemotherapy are manageable.

Radiotherapy: If the tumor is in deep brain tissues where chemotherapy cannot reach, the tumor can be shrunk by giving radiation therapy.

Stem cell transplant:

Primary CNS lymphoma may be treated with high doses of chemotherapy and preceded by an autologous stem cell transplant. However, the Care of patients after transplant is very necessary, to prevent patients from infections until the new immunity develops.

Medical management includes antiemetic medicine for nausea and vomiting, painkillers for headaches, some steroids to reduce swelling in the brain, and anti-seizure medications to decrease the risk of seizures.

Moreover, early detection of symptoms and timely diagnoses may lead to good treatment outcomes and prevent patients from further complications.