Brain Tumor Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

A brain tumor also called a central nervous system tumor, is an abnormal development of cells in and around the brain. When the tumor grows, they affect brain functions by pressing the surrounding nerves, blood vessels, and tissues. Always look for brain tumor warning signs to get early treatment. If ignored, it can be a major factor in cancer-related deaths, particularly in young children under the age of 14.

What are the symptoms of a brain tumor?

Sometimes brain tumor symptoms occur while the treatment of another disease is in process. People do not experience any signs before that. A brain tumor presses the nerves or blood vessels and does cause some symptoms in most patients. These signs are different depending on various factors like location, type, and size of the tumor. It is also dependent on the affected brain part. Some brain tumor symptoms and signs are as follows.

• Severe headaches are the most common symptoms. One can experience severe and continuous headaches in the morning. Sometimes headaches go away after vomiting.
• Changes in behavior or personality.
• Patients often find themselves in perplexing situations. 
• Since the nervous system is affected, people face difficulty in control and coordination. Sometimes there is trouble in focussing as well. 
• Nausea, vomiting, seizures, and unusual sleepiness
• Problems in thinking, memorizing, speaking, and understanding
• Numbness and weakness are also common signs. 

Causes of Brain Cancer
Doctors do not know the exact brain cancer causes with surety. Some believe that unexpected mutation can cause genes to defect, leading to the abrupt growth of brain cells, and causing a tumor. Exposure to an outrageous amount of X-rays is the only artificial cause. People with previous cancer treatments can also develop brain tumors. Researches reveal that heredity is also a cause of some types of brain cancer. 

What are the treatments for a brain tumor?
A brain tumor can be cancerous or non-cancerous, technically called benign and malignant, respectively. Specific tumors develop in the brain, while some reach the brain after starting at some other body part initially. The type, size, and location of the tumor are the determining factors of the treatment. The most common options are as below.

Surgery
Surgeons remove the tumor when it is workable. Brain surgery is complex and needs to get done cautiously. The brain of the patient must be able to regain control and coordination after the operation.

Radiation Therapy
Doctors expose the area carrying tumors to a powerful beam of X-rays destroying the tumor cells or shrinking them. They do this procedure sometimes before surgery to minimize the size of the tumor. This way, lesser tissues have to be removed while operating.

Chemotherapy
In this process, doctors inject anti-cancer drugs into veins or as pills. These drugs are known to kill cancer cells in the body. This process, just like radiation therapy, is done before surgery to shrink the tumor. Doctors sometimes recommend chemotherapy even after surgery to kill any cancer cells left in the body.

Immunotherapy
It is also called biological therapy, as the immune system of the body is used to fight cancer cells. Doctors give stimulation to the immune system so that it does its job more effectively.

Targeted Therapy
In this treatment, patients get drugs that target the specific features of cancer cells ensuring no damage to the healthy cells. Procedures like chemotherapy give many side effects like nausea, so this treatment can act as a substitute.

Conclusion

Here we have discussed various signs, treatments, and causes of brain cancer. One cannot prevent a brain tumor however, one can reduce the risk of developing it by avoiding smoking and exposure to radiation. Consult your doctor if you are experiencing any of the above signs of a brain tumor.