Traditional medicine

Brain cancer symptoms treatment. How to identify brain cancer

In this article we will look at the symptoms and signs of brain cancer. What kind of disease is this?

Brain cancer is a rare disease and at the same time little studied. It is often fatal. At the same time, as doctors say, characteristic feature Cancer patients almost always suffer from extreme neglect of the disease, when the chances of a cure are much less than they could be. Let's find out what the first signs of brain cancer are early stage in adult patients.

Description of the pathology

This is extremely dangerous disease, which is difficult to treat and can lead to the death of the patient. The greatest threat is posed by the asymptomatic course of the disease. Mostly, severe symptoms The fourth stage is different, but at this stage the disease is difficult to treat, and the prognosis for such people is disappointing.

The signs of brain cancer in women are not particularly different from those in men.

Confusion is possible

At the same time, the symptoms with which a patient may consult a doctor can easily be confused with signs of other diseases. For example, headaches along with vomiting and dizziness in combination with blurred vision are often observed with migraines and hypertensive crisis. In addition, headaches can be caused by osteochondrosis. In this regard, therapy depends on the level of qualifications of the doctor to whom the patient turns for diagnosis. It is extremely important that the specialist is able to detect dangerous symptoms in time and conduct the necessary examination, which can help identify oncological processes.

Classification of tumors

Tumors in medicine are classified according to the tissues in which they grow. Thus, a tumor that develops from the lining of the brain is called meningioma. A tumor that arises in brain tissue is a ganglioma or astrocytoma, and their common name will sound like neuroepithelial neoplasms. Neuroma is a malignant tumor affecting the nerve sheath of the skull.

Gliomas make up about eighty percent of malignant neoplasms; meningiomas are also classified as common tumors; doctors note them in thirty-five percent of brain oncology cases. Now let's find out what are the main reasons for the appearance of this dangerous disease.

Let's look at the signs of brain cancer below.

The main causes of this type of oncology

It must be said that the causes of brain tumors have not yet been studied to the fullest. As practice shows, in ten percent of cases cancer is provoked hereditary diseases genes. Secondary neoplasms arise due to the spread of metastases against the background of cancer of other organs. Today, doctors identify several causes of brain cancer.

Such genetic pathologies how Gorlin syndrome, along with Bourneville disease, tuberculous sclerosis and disruption of the APC gene, can cause brain cancer.
Weakened immunity, which is observed after organ transplantation, as well as among AIDS patients, only increases the likelihood of tumor formation not only in the brain, but also in other organs.
The first signs of brain cancer are much more common in women than in men. Race also plays a role in this case: white people are more likely to suffer from this disease compared to representatives of other races.
The influence of radiation with carcinogenic substances also entails an oncogenic danger and acts as a risk factor for the development of brain cancer. At risk are people who are involved in hazardous industries, for example, in the industrial production of plastics.
Brain cancer primarily occurs among adults. And with age, the risk of malignant neoplasm increases, and such pathology is difficult to treat. Children are also at risk for this type of cancer, but the typical areas where the tumor is located differ: in adults, the cancer affects the lining of the brain, while in younger patients the cerebellum may be affected. In ten percent of brain cancer cases in adult patients, the tumor affects the pituitary gland and the pineal gland.

Secondary tumors are a consequence of other oncological processes that occur in the body: metastases penetrate into the skull through the circulatory system and contribute to the appearance of a malignant neoplasm. Such tumors often occur against the background of breast cancer and other oncological diseases.

The first signs of brain cancer

In brain oncology, symptoms are of two types: focal and cerebral. General cerebral symptoms are typical for all cases of cancer, while focal symptoms directly depend on the location of the tumor. Focal symptoms can be very diverse, its type and severity depend on the area of the brain that is affected by the disease, as well as on the functions for which it is responsible: whether it is memory, counting, written language and so on. Among the focal symptoms of the brain there are following signs:

Partial or absolute impairment of the mobility of certain parts of the body, along with loss of sensitivity of the limbs, distorted perception of temperature and other external factors. Everyone should know the signs of brain cancer in adults.
Changes that are associated with the personality: the patient’s character may change, the person may become hot-tempered and irritable, or, conversely, too calm and indifferent to everything that previously worried him. Lethargy with apathy and frivolity in making important decisions that affect life, along with impulsive actions - all this can serve as a sign mental disorder that occurs with this type of oncology.
Losing control over bladder, difficulty urinating.

General symptoms

All tumors are characterized by common symptoms (brain cancer is no exception), which are associated with increased intracranial pressure, and, in addition, the mechanical influence of the neoplasm on different centers of the brain. So, the following symptoms are observed:

Dizziness with loss of balance. There is a feeling that the ground is disappearing from under your feet, it can arise spontaneously and be important symptom requiring diagnostics.
The headaches are usually dull and bursting, but may have different character. As a rule, they occur in the morning before the first meal, in the evening or after psycho-emotional stress. Headaches can also get worse with exercise.

Signs of early-stage brain cancer often go undetected for a long time.

Vomiting also occurs in the morning; this can occur uncontrollably if the position of the head changes abruptly. It can appear without nausea and is in no way related to food intake. In the presence of intense vomiting, there is a risk of dehydration, as a result of which the patient will be prescribed drugs that will block the stimulation of the corresponding receptors.

Many people want to know how brain cancer manifests itself. The first signs are not limited to this.

Other symptoms of brain cancer

Now let's look at the symptoms that have been occurring for more than late stages:

Partial or complete loss of vision. The appearance of floaters before the eyes is a symptom that was provoked by the fact that the tumor presses on the optic nerve. In the absence timely treatment this leads to its death. As a result of this process, it will be impossible to restore vision.
Squeezing auditory nerve The tumor causes hearing impairment in the patient.
Epileptic seizures that arise suddenly. This symptom is characteristic of the second and later stages of brain cancer.
Presence of hormonal disorders. Often observed with an adenomatous neoplasm of glandular tissue, which is capable of producing hormones. Symptoms can be very diverse, as with other diseases that are associated with hormonal imbalance.
Damage to the brain stem is characterized by impaired swallowing and breathing function, in addition, the sense of smell, taste and vision are distorted. Despite the seriousness of the symptoms, which significantly spoil life and make a person incapacitated and dependent, brain damage can be minor and benign. But even a small tumor in this area can lead to serious consequences. For example, there may be a displacement of the brain structure, which will require surgical intervention.
A tumor in the temporal zone manifests itself in the form of visual and auditory hallucinations, a neoplasm in the occipital region is characterized by impaired color perception.

We now know what signs of cancer a person may develop.

Diagnosis of oncology

Types of diagnosing brain cancer include the following procedures:

Personal examination by a specialist. Within initial examination the doctor asks the patient to do a number of tasks that make it possible to determine a violation of coordination, tactile and motor function. For example, the doctor may ask you to touch your nose with your fingers closed or take a couple of steps after spinning. Neurologists check tendon reflexes.
Magnetic resonance therapy is prescribed in the presence of deviations from the norm, which makes it possible to identify oncology at an early stage, determine the location of the tumor and develop an appropriate treatment plan. The first signs of brain cancer manifest differently for everyone.
Puncture of brain tissue makes it possible to detect the presence of abnormal cells along with the degree of tissue changes, and thanks to this it is also possible to clarify the stage of oncology. True, tissue biopsy cannot always be performed due to the inaccessible location of the tumor; therefore, this analysis is often performed when the tumor is removed.
Radiography makes it possible to determine the presence and location of a tumor by the blood vessels displayed in the images; for this, the patient is first injected contrast agent. Craniography reveals changes in the structure of the skull along with abnormal calcium deposits, which are provoked by the oncological process.

After diagnosis, the doctor draws up individual plan therapy.

Signs of brain cancer in men and women depend on the stage of the disease.

Main stages of the disease

Due to the almost asymptomatic course of the disease, it is difficult to accurately determine its stage. This is especially difficult to do due to the fact that the disease passes from one stage to another quickly and unexpectedly. This is especially true for cancers in the brain stem. The stage of the disease is accurately determined only after a post-mortem autopsy; therefore, the slightest signs of pathology should be treated carefully from the very first days. Unfortunately, at the last stage, cancer is not amenable to surgical therapy, and, in addition, responds extremely poorly to medications and other types of treatment. There are four stages in total:

In the first stage, cancer does not affect large number cells, and therefore surgical treatment is generally successful. But detecting an oncological formation at this stage is extremely difficult, since the first signs of brain cancer in men and women are characteristic of a number of other diseases. Required special diagnostics.
The transition of the process to stage 2 is characterized by an increase in the tumor, which involves nearby tissue and begins to compress the brain centers. At this stage, the tumor is still operable, but the chances of absolute cure are significantly reduced.
The third stage is characterized by rapid growth of the tumor, and malignant cells affect healthy tissue. But, nevertheless, surgery can give good results if the tumor is located in
At the fourth stage, surgical treatment is no longer performed. Instead they use palliative methods along with radiation therapy and drug treatments aimed at reducing the patient's suffering through strong painkillers. The prognosis in this case is disappointing.

Symptoms and signs of brain cancer in adults can be determined by a qualified physician.

How long do patients with brain cancer live?

As part of predicting the development of the disease and assessing the health status of patients with brain cancer, the concept of “five-year survival” is used. Patients who have been diagnosed with this disease are assessed, regardless of the course of therapy used. Some patients after successful treatment live longer than 5 years, while others are forced to undergo regular therapeutic procedures. The average survival rate for people with tumors located in the brain is thirty-five percent. As for malignant tumors, of which the majority are gliomas, in this case the survival rate is only five percent.

We looked at the symptoms and signs of brain cancer.

Brain cancer is a disease that is very difficult to cope with. This is due to the fact that the first signs of brain cancer are sometimes not even noticeable to its carrier, and also because intracranial operations have a huge risk. Brain cancer accounts for about 2-3% of all tumor cases.

Classification

The best place for a tumor to develop is the middle of the skull. Sometimes the place where it appears is the spinal canal. Brain cancer is formed due to the constant division of cells, of which there are more than necessary for tissue repair. In this case, they grow on top of existing organs, forming compactions.

It continues to grow, so surgery is necessary to remove the disease. does not transfer to neighboring organs, but due to the limited space for growth inside the human skull, sooner or later it turns into brain cancer.

There are 2 stages of the disease: primary and secondary. The primary stage of disease development is characterized by the fact that future oncology is just beginning to grow from separated brain cells. The secondary stage is the moment when the brain tumor has already matured in the existing tissue of the organ and begins to progress, occupying an increasingly larger part of the body.

In addition, the classification of a brain tumor is carried out according to the location of the growth. The following parts of the human brain most often become such places:

frontal lobe;
space near the central gyrus;
temporal lobe;
parietal lobe;
occipital lobe;
pituitary;
cerebellum.

Stages of oncology development

The neoplasm has several stages of development. Symptoms in the early stages are formed taking into account that the disease is still within the boundaries of the formed growth. The disease then manifests itself when cancer cells begin to spread to other parts of the body, infecting healthy organs.

In the primary stage of its development, a tumor begins to form in one of the parts of the brain due to cell division. The reason for this process is a mutation in DNA cells. It is because of this that cells begin to divide randomly and form a cancerous growth.
A second stage tumor occurs as a result of a malignant process occurring in the body. Over time, it grows into the brain. Here is the manifestation malignant cells intensifies, so cancer is most often diagnosed at the second stage.

Causes of brain cancer development

Until now, the causes of the tumor have not been precisely established by specialists. Many of scientists' assumptions are not confirmed, for example, that cancer often occurs in heavy smokers. Nevertheless, specialists are constantly faced with such a problem, as its occurrence can be as follows:

Hereditary factor when one of the parents was a carrier cancer cells.
A certain type of human activity, such as when working with chemicals.
Radiation exposure of brain cells.

In addition, this disease most often occurs in people over 45 years of age. IN rural areas cases of this disease, according to statistics, is almost 2 times less than that of people living in an urban environment. The number of cases of brain cancer in women is no more than in men, that is, the disease is not gender-specific.

Symptoms of the disease

Symptoms in the early stages of the disease are quite difficult to recognize. They largely depend on the location of the growth. For example, if a tumor affects the speech zone of the brain, then a person cannot speak, and if the vestibular zone is affected, tinnitus is heard and dizziness is possible.

However, there is also general symptoms brain cancer:

Pain in the head, pulsating in nature. My head hurts constantly. As a rule, the pain does not go away even with painkillers.
Nausea and vomiting. This is associated with increased pressure inside the skull.
Dizziness, tinnitus. These are common symptoms of brain cancer.

There are other signs that at first glance are not associated with brain activity person. However, they are the ones who, as a rule, appear earlier than others. Signs may be the following:

Malfunctions of certain parts of the body. This is due to a violation of the part of the brain to which this place is subordinate.
Impaired hearing, speech, vision or smell.
Movement disorders, lack of muscle control, constant relaxed muscle state.
Hormonal disorders, this symptom is especially common among women.
Seizures similar to epilepsy.
The appearance of hallucinations.

In addition, signs and symptoms of cancer may differ depending on where in the brain the tumor is located. At the same time, the first symptoms of cancer are different:

Cancer located in the frontal lobe has symptoms such as headache, cramps of the whole body or individual limbs. Often this disease is characterized mental disorder person. The patient may commit rash acts and see hallucinations. Often the patient's facial muscles are paralyzed and problems with smell and vision arise.
The first signs of brain cancer, if the tumor is located in the area of the central gyrus, are the desire to chew, swallow and lick everything, increased salivation, paralysis of the facial muscles, numbness of the tongue.
Temporal lobe disease often occurs: constant noise in the ears, dizziness, disruption of the senses, especially hearing. In more advanced stage auditory and visual hallucinations occur.
Signs of parietal brain cancer at an early stage include loss of coordination and movement, the person does not control the movements of his limbs and cannot write. Sometimes speech and mental activity become difficult.
Pituitary tumors are characterized by hormonal disorders and visual impairment.
Tumors of the occipital part of the brain occur quite rarely; the first symptoms of such a disorder are blurred vision. With this disease, a person often confuses colors and sees hallucinations.
Cerebellar tumors are characterized by headache and vomiting, as well as muscle numbness. Often the patient cannot strain any part of the body, and the feeling of weakness does not go away.

Diagnosis of cancer

Often a person with a brain tumor does not notice its signs for a very long time. Headache is attributed to general fatigue, and tinnitus is attributed to high blood pressure. Often large tumors have no symptoms at all, so they cannot be diagnosed until the cancer cells spread throughout the brain.

How to identify brain cancer modern world many experts argue. There is no specific way. However, there are several examination methods that will help diagnose the patient:

Neurological examinations patient.
Carrying out computed tomography.
MRI and other techniques.

In complicated situations, when the tumor is small or located so that it is not visible on the pictures, and the signs begin to increase, the doctor may prescribe a neurosurgical operation in order to detect the presence of a neoplasm. This may be a stereotactic biopsy or venticuloscopy.

Brain tumor treatment

Treatment for any brain tumor is carried out surgical method. Prognosis depends on the stage at which the disease was diagnosed. If the tumor is benign, that is, it has just begun to form, then there is every chance of a successful operation. Malignant tumors, the cancer cells of which have already spread throughout the brain, unfortunately, in many cases are simply not treated.

Oncological surgery can be of 2 different types:

Radical method of operation. He assumes complete removal emerging tumor by cutting it off from healthy brain tissue.
Partial surgery, the purpose of which is to improve the patient's condition. During the operation, part of the tumor is removed, which reduces the pressure inside the patient’s skull and reduces the painful symptoms of the disease. This type of operation is sometimes used in the presence of a malignant neoplasm. It allows a person to extend his life.

Sometimes the operation is supported radiation therapy. It can be of 2 types:

A therapy in which radiation medications are implanted directly into the patient's tumor. According to classification, such drugs can be in a hard or soft shell. Cure a tumor using this method, practically impossible. It only relieves symptoms and is carried out on a par with partial operation. Sometimes during such an intervention, medications are implanted into the remaining part of the tumor for greater results.
Hardware, or external, irradiation of the tumor. This is not an independent type of treatment. This therapy is most often used to consolidate the results after surgery.

There is no treatment with medicinal methods. However drug treatment is almost always prescribed to the patient as a complementary therapy. At severe pain A person suffering from cancer may be prescribed strong painkillers. Often with this disease you have to take sleeping pills, since unpleasant symptoms, one of which is a headache, sometimes prevent a person from falling asleep.

Today there are many types of brain tumors, and a brain tumor at an early stage, with timely intervention from a specialist, can be cured without serious consequences for the patient. Some tumors are benign in nature, while others are malignant. Primary formations arise directly in the brain tissue, and malignant ones can form in other organs and then spread throughout the body, affecting its most vulnerable areas.

Number of diagnosed cancer diseases is growing every year. This trend is most pronounced in last decades, but it is still difficult to talk about the main reasons for this pattern.

The main cause of tumor development is uncontrolled cell division. The tumor can be localized both in the middle of the skull and in the spinal canal. It can affect healthy tissue far beyond the source of origin. A benign tumor does not spread to other organs (no metastasis), but is localized directly in the brain tissue. Due to the limited space of the skull, sooner or later it can become cancerous.

Symptoms

When diagnosing a disease such as a brain tumor, the symptoms in the early stages in an adult can be varied. This depends on the size of the tumor, the speed of its development, and location. It is noteworthy that men suffer from tumors in the brain much more often than women, and in addition, symptoms in females may differ slightly, which depends on the type of tumor.

TO common features and symptoms include the following:

. In the early stages of tumor development, the headache may be intermittent, but over time it may become constant. Most often it occurs in supine position or after sleep;
Nausea and vomiting that is not associated with food intake. As evidenced by patient stories, nausea is periodic and occurs depending on body position;
Decreased vision, double vision;
Decreased sensitivity in the limbs;
Speech impairment, when a person begins to confuse words, and the pronunciation becomes incomprehensible. Such first signs should alert not only the patient himself, but also all loved ones;
Balance problems;
Decrease in labor activity;
Changes in the psyche and its complete destruction;
The occurrence of seizures. Such first symptoms indicate that the tumor is beginning to affect important centers of the brain;
Hearing impairment;
Increased drowsiness, stupor. In some cases, the person may fall into a coma.

Reasons

Primary tumors develop directly in the brain tissue or in nearby areas. The primary tumor begins its active development at the moment when DNA mutations occur in normal cells. This leads to uncontrolled, accelerated cell division and growth, and they continue to exist even at a time when healthy cells should have died. This leads to tumors in the brain.

Primary tumors are not diagnosed as often as secondary tumors, in which the tumor develops in another organ and then reaches the brain. That is why the first signs of the disease can appear quite late, which will not only complicate the treatment of the disease, but will also negatively affect the future fate of the patient. Today there are many cases of the disease. Their classification is based on the type of tissue from which the tumor forms.

The primary types include the following:

Ependyoma;
or glioblastoma;
Pineoblastoma and others.

Secondary are neoplasms that develop in any other organ of the body and then metastasize to the brain. In some cases, cancer symptoms early stages in adults will depend on various factors, and they can also occur long before the disease itself is diagnosed. In all other cases, a brain tumor is the first sign of cancer that is localized in another area of the body.

Any type of malignant tumor can metastasize to the head, of which the most common types are the following:

Lung cancer;
Breast cancer;
Colon cancer.

Risk factors

To date, experts have not identified the sources that cause genetic mutations, which lead to the development of primary brain tumors, but they have identified factors that can increase the likelihood of this disease.

This may include the following:

Age. As practice shows, symptoms of a brain tumor in adults manifest themselves depending on the location of the tumor, and occur mainly in people over 45 years of age. But it can still form in the very early age. It is noteworthy that benign cerebellar astrocytomas, as well as medulloblastomas, are most often diagnosed in children;
Negative effects of radiation. In people who are actively or periodically exposed to radiation, brain cancer is diagnosed much more often. This may include radiation therapy, exposure atomic bombs, as well as man-made disasters with the occurrence of radioactive exposure. The impact is unproven electromagnetic field from high voltage lines, mobile phone, microwave oven and so on;
Impact chemicals. People who work in high-risk areas chemical activity, are more exposed to the possibility of developing a brain tumor;
Hereditary factor. A small proportion of cases may occur in those people whose relatives have become prisoners of this disease.

Brain cancer, like any oncology, is a dangerous, fatal disease that practically does not manifest itself in the early stages. But as the tumor itself grows, the patient develops headaches, nausea, vomiting, and vision loss. Patients often confuse the first symptoms with migraine, hypertensive crisis or blame other illnesses.

It is especially dangerous for those who have experienced such symptoms before, as they are very similar to other diseases. For men and women over 60 years of age, these symptoms are usually similar to osteochondrosis.

That is why the most important thing is to recognize cancer as early as possible and begin treatment. Sami brain tumors differ in the type of tissue on which they grow and on what lobe of the brain they are located.

Neuroepithelial tumors - or the general name for all neoplasms in the head.

Menangiomas- cancer of the lining of the brain.
Ganglioma (Astrocytoma)- a tumor in the tissues of the brain itself.
Neuroma- neoplasm of cranial nerves
Neuroepithelial- from ordinary brain cells.
Dysembryogenetic- cell mutation occurs as a result of improper cell growth and division.
Pituitary- pituitary tumor.
Shell- from the tissues of the lining of the brain.

In the article we will look at brain cancer in full, symptoms, treatment, as well as the danger of the disease itself.

Risk factors

In general, the brain tumor itself is quite rare disease. Many doctors argue that this is due to the fact that brain tissue is more protected from external factors than other organs. Let's consider all the reasons.

Genetics is the most common reason. If the parents had such a disease, then the children have a higher chance than others.
Diseases: Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Bourneville disease, tuberculous sclerosis, Gorlin syndrome.
Change in the APC gene.
AIDS and other diseases that affect the immune system.
Representatives of the white race get sick more often.
Women get sick more often than men in a ratio of 55% to 45%.
Radiation is a consequence of almost all cancer diseases.
Ecology and carcinogens. Many chemicals have mutagenic properties. Because of this, the DNA of the cells changes and the cells begin to divide uncontrollably.
Adults get sick more often than children. In this case, the membrane, pituitary gland and pineal gland of the brain are mainly affected. Perhaps this is due to age-related changes or gradual poisoning of the body itself.
Metastases from other tumors often lead to complications and neoplasms in the skull. Metastases occur especially often: from the liver, with leukemia, lungs and thyroid cancer.
Alcohol and cigarettes are provided huge quantities chemicals that can mutate cells' DNA. Plus, bad habits weaken the immune system, which primarily fights cancer cells.
Viruses can also penetrate during long-term cell disease; they can change DNA at the chromosome level, which is why altered cells appear.
Nutrition - affects every effect in the body. IN lately A large number of products with carcinogens and harmful chemicals began to appear. additives that can directly affect the appearance of cancer cells.

First signs

Symptoms of brain cancer can vary and depend primarily on the location of the tumor in the brain. That is, in which particular department the tumor began to grow and which departments are neighboring. The first and subsequent symptoms may depend on this.

But there are also general symptoms that are inherent in any malignant formation in my head. We will consider both focal and general signs. Let's look at the first signs of brain cancer.

General

Dizziness.
Sometimes a person loses his balance - it happens suddenly and also suddenly disappears.
The headache is dull and in one place. Intensifies with any physical and emotional stress, when changing the position of the head or body.
Uncontrolled vomiting, no nausea.

Focal

Impaired mobility of some limbs.
Unusual perception of taste, heat and cold.
Loss of sensitivity in some places on the body.
Changes in taste perception.
Change in mood or character.
Apathy.
Irritability or, on the contrary, strange calmness.
Incontinence.

Are there differences in symptoms between adults and children? There is practically no difference, only children usually react more vividly, and parents should pay attention to: the child’s sudden fatigue, headaches, coordination. It happens that a child’s pupils begin to dart constantly.

In women

In general, it is practically no different from others, but if the tumor affects hormonal background, then the woman may notice this and bright signs will appear:

The voice becomes rougher.
Hair loss.
Temperature.
Weight loss without dieting and sports.

Symptoms in later stages

Stars before my eyes.
Loss of vision in one or two eyeballs at once.
Hearing impairment.
Epilepsy.
Changes in hormonal balance.
The patient cannot breathe or swallow normally, tastes and smells are perceived incorrectly.
Colors become dull or, on the contrary, bright. Auditory and visual hallucinations appear.

Diagnostics

Usually any doctor sees something wrong on the general and biochemical analysis blood. There may even be slight deviations. Then the doctor prescribes repeated tests to confirm the problem. Let's look at how brain cancer is diagnosed.

Analysis for tumor markers

It is done quite rarely for brain cancer, but sometimes the patient himself insists on it. Tumor markers are waste products of the tumor itself, found in the human blood. Based on the class and type of the marker itself, it is possible to determine exactly where the enemy is holed up.

So far, doctors and scientists have not been able to find a specific brain tumor marker, and usually several indicate brain cancer at once:

Belok S-100

Inspection

Usually at this time, the therapist checks motor and motor function, as well as coordination in space, conducts full examination and palpation. If the tumor presses on the cerebellum, there may be strong problems with coordination and the patient may fall with his eyes closed. The patient may be sent to a neurologist to have his reflexes checked.

MRI

Most the right way determine brain oncology. In this case, you can determine the class of the tumor, its size, damage to nearby tissues and stage.

Puncture

This is very important point diagnostics, when they take a sample of tumor tissue and look at it under a microscope to determine the growth rate and the degree of aggressiveness of the cells themselves. This is often done to determine how sensitive tumor tissue is to a particular reagent before chemotherapy.

A contrast agent is injected into the vessels, which is clearly visible on the image, and then they look at the location of the blood vessels that feed the tumor itself. This is usually done before removing the tumor itself, during surgery.

Types of cancer tumors

Benign- the cells themselves, the tissues of formation are in one zone - they do not enter and do not damage nearby tissues. Because of this, such a tumor can be removed quite easily with proper treatment. The danger of such brain tumors The fact is that in almost 90% of cases they turn into cancer.
Malignant— the cells themselves are very different from healthy ones, they grow quickly and divide endlessly. As a result, carcinoma tissues grow and penetrate healthy ones, begin to damage them and put pressure on neighboring areas of the brain, which is why the patient experiences various painful symptoms. The process spreads faster with lower-grade brain cancer.

Stages and symptoms

In order to somehow begin treating the patient, oncologists need to determine the stage of the cancer in the head. The treatment strategy and methods of therapy will depend on the degree.

Stage 1

In the first stage of the disease, the brain is already beginning to show itself slightly. But often the patient himself blames other illnesses or mild ailments. Tumor tissues have small size and have a small lesion size, so when quick treatment 80% of patients do not relapse. Symptoms include:

Weakness.
Drowsiness.
Pain in the head.
Dizziness.
Sometimes nausea occurs.

Stage 2

The tumor already has enough large sizes and puts pressure on the nearest parts of the brain, which causes more vivid symptoms:

Vomiting and nausea.
Violation of the act of defecation.
Incontinence.
Cramps.
Epileptic seizures.

Stage 3

The cancer begins to damage neighboring healthy tissue, which is why it is quite rare to remove the tumor at this stage. But, if the cancer is located in the temporal lobe, then there is a chance of recovery after surgery.

Impaired hearing, speech and vision.
The pain in the head gets worse.
The patient confuses words.
Absent-mindedness.
Dumbness of the limbs, tingling throughout the body.
Impaired motor activity.
There is a slight sway when walking due to imbalance.
The pupils dart, but the patient does not notice this.

Stage 4

The health status of the cancer patient is greatly deteriorating. This final stage most often ends tragically; the patient may fall into a coma or die. The tumor is enormous in size and puts pressure on all nearby areas, which is why some of the body’s functions simply fail. Doctors at the fourth stage use drug treatment, painkillers narcotic substances to reduce the patient's pain and suffering.

Forecast

Brain cancer is a very difficult disease to treat, and this is due to the fact that the disease itself is located inside the skull in a very fragile organ. Typically, surgery to remove a tumor is performed by the most the best specialists with many years of experience, since any mistake can lead to severe consequences for the sick and even to death.

Patients whose cancer was detected in the early stages have a good prognosis. As the level of cancer increases, the chance of recovery decreases. Plus, the aggressiveness and differentiation of cancer cells and growth rate are affected.

How long do they live with brain cancer? Doctors use the concept of five-year survival rate, since the cancer itself can return after 10 or even 15 years. Average value cancerous tumor lower than for other cancers and remains around 30% for all cases.

Treatment

Therapy usually involves a wide range of doctors, from a therapist to a neurologist and a chief oncologist. The main treatments for brain cancer are radiation and removal of the tumor itself. But it all depends on the stage and size of the cancer, which can grow so strongly in the brain that it is simply impossible to remove it surgically.

The type and strategy of treatment also depend on the location of the tumor itself and its effect on nearby tissues and areas of the brain. The operation is usually performed on early phases tumor development: 1 or 2. At later stages, removing the tumor is dangerous for the patient himself.

Surgical intervention

Usually used when removing benign tumors that do not involve nearby tissues and parts. The main difference between removing a head tumor and others in the body is that the surgeon in this case cannot additionally cut off nearby tissue so that the cancer does not spread.

That is why any awkward movement or millimeter of excess cut tissue leads to sad consequences and deprives the patient of several or one function of the body as a whole. This is why the survival rate for brain cancer is so low, since usually after surgery many cancer cells remain, which subsequently also grow into a tumor.

If tumor tissues are deep and in hard to reach place, then the doctor conducts additional research: CT, MRI and tissue biopsy of cancer cells.

Stereostatic radiosurgery — new technique, which allows the tumor to be irradiated with gamma rays in high doses, while nearby healthy cells are almost unaffected.

Before the operation, the patient is given medications that help during the operation, these include anti-inflammatory steroids. These drugs reduce the size of the tumor itself through swelling and reduce pressure on healthy tissue.

Radiotherapy

Radiation therapy is usually used on late stages cancer when surgery does not help. Or if the patient has pathologies and diseases that make it impossible to remove the tumor surgically. Also used after surgery to destroy remaining cancer cells.

External radiation therapy - the doctor prescribes a course of sessions when the patient is irradiated high dose radiation. However, the rest of the time the patient can stay at home.
Brachytherapy— a radioactive substance is injected into the tumor itself. The dose itself is calculated based on the size of the tumor in order to minimize damage to healthy tissue.

Chemotherapy

Aimed at destroying remnants of cancer tissue after surgical treatment. The doctor selects the substance itself based on research and experiments on cancer tissue during biopsy. After this, a course of 5-6 sessions is prescribed.

The downside is that it negatively affects the entire body, causing hair loss, digestive and hematopoietic dysfunction. bone marrow. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are more auxiliary methods treatment.

Endoscopic therapy

This is a fairly gentle operation for brain tissue, since the operation minimizes the load on nearby tissues and blood vessels. But there is one drawback - in this case, craniotomy is performed, when the skull itself is opened, which is why the patient after the operation has to stay in the hospital for quite a long time.

Can it be cured?

When treating the same stomach cancer, usually the doctor, without remorse, simply cuts off most of the tumor itself, nearby tissues and lymph nodes. And here the surgeon always tries to capture as much tissue as possible, since they can be damaged and infected with cancer cells.

This is not the way to remove a brain tumor. If the doctor cuts off even a centimeter of excess tissue, he will deprive the patient of the ability to: speak, hear, or damage any part of the body's function. Therefore, microscopic precision is important here.

Brain oncology is extremely serious and serious illness, the result of which quite often leads to the death of the patient.

The disease is extremely dangerous. And not only because clinical manifestations and severity, but also because the first signs of brain cancer are very easy to miss and not notice, which will give rise to more strong development diseases.

Therefore, it is important to know what symptoms and signs of a brain tumor may be in the early stages in order to identify signs of the tumor in time and begin treatment.

Causes of cancer formation

genetic inheritance. In addition to inheriting a special gene from relatives, the precursor to oncology is genetic diseases(for example, tuberculous sclerosis, Gorlin syndrome);
old age. The older a person is, the more susceptible he becomes to the disease. IN childhood there are also chances of developing a tumor, but they are much less than in the elderly and if they do occur, they usually affect atypical places for localization and are quickly diagnosed;
gender. Women are more susceptible to developing brain tumors than men. In addition, race also plays a role: white people develop brain cancer more often than representatives of other races;
irradiation. Radiation and carcinogens significantly influence the development of the disease. For example, with increased harmfulness of production, long-term contact with heavy metals;
hiv - infection. Patients, as a rule, live in a constantly reduced immune system, which increases the possibility of not only tumors, but also other diseases. When transplanting organs with HIV infection, the recipient also becomes susceptible to developing brain cancer.

In addition, there are secondary tumors, which are metastases. They appear due to the development of other types of oncology, in other organs, but metastases can spread throughout the body.

If a person has metastases, then the symptoms that are present in the patient will also be characteristic - as with brain cancer, because they are the same malignant neoplasms as true brain cancer, only with the formation of tumors secondary.

Types of tumors

There are two main types: benign and malignant neoplasms. Only malignant tumors carry a mortal threat to the patient, while benign ones can be with a person all his life and not cause complications.

But rebirth is possible benign tumor and cancer develops, then it begins to show a vivid symptomatic picture and changes a person’s life completely.

The first signs of brain cancer

The main threat lies in the unnoticed development of the tumor and the course of symptoms. People simply don’t notice most of them and chalk them up to fatigue, bad weather, blood pressure, etc. Ignoring such symptoms of early-stage brain cancer allows the disease to develop stronger and become more dangerous.

Brain cancer can develop unnoticed by the patient, and symptoms in the early stages are simply invisible. It happens that only after the development of brain cancer to the third or fourth stage, the clinical picture of the disease manifests itself with all its force and then the disease can be recognized.

Therefore, it is extremely important to pay attention to any symptoms of brain cancer and undergo a routine annual examination in order to detect cancer in time.

The first symptoms of cancer appear as general cerebral ones:

headache;
dizziness;
double vision;
impairment of vision or hearing;
decreased brain activity;
hallucinations of various types;
increased irritability;
euphoria;
behavior change;
a sharp decrease in body weight;
fatigue, weakness.

But, nevertheless, the signs and symptoms have their differences. For example, headaches develop to such a degree that a person begins to vomit. The pain is systematic, the same.

Symptoms of brain cancer can be completely different and depend on where the tumor is located and at what stages of growth and development it is. Dizziness occurs suddenly and does not change when changing body position. A patient’s sudden weight loss for no apparent reason will lead the doctor to suspect the presence of a hidden oncological process.

It is important to understand that the first signs of brain cancer mean that the process has already begun and how quickly it will be resolved right decision- seek help from doctors, so you can stop the growth of tumor cells and undergo surgery to remove the tumor.

It all depends on the location of the tumor

Each area of the brain is responsible for its own functions, and only correct work all departments can maintain constant homeostasis of the body. The tumor can be located in absolutely any part of the brain, and the clinical picture of the development of symptoms depends on this.

The location of the tumor in the frontal lobe (glioma) causes epileptic seizures, mental disorders, coordination of movements - there may be disturbances in walking, involuntary twitching.

The tumor in the temporal lobe has quite characteristic symptoms manifested in hallucinations. They can be different: gustatory, visual, tactile or olfactory.

Development in parietal lobe entails a violation motor functions. There may be paresis in various combinations, tremors, it becomes difficult for a person to hold objects, involuntary twitching.

Tumor in occipital lobe characterized by affecting visual center. Patients may have visual disturbances, but usually without a decrease in visual acuity. That is, visual fields may fall out, there may be hallucinations, or, most often, the appearance of circles, stars, dots or other figures. This symptom differs in that the appearance of the figures is always recorded in only one place.

Tumor growth in the pituitary gland causes double vision, drooping of the eyelid (on the side on which the tumor is located), and impaired eye movement.

If the neoplasm affects the hypothalamus, there are short-term disturbances or clouding of consciousness.

The clinical picture of the disease depends on the location of the tumor. But besides this, the size of the tumor and the stage of development of the process affect the severity, duration and possible addition of other symptoms to general condition patient.

Diagnostics

After a patient comes to the hospital with complaints, he is prescribed instrumental examination and taking tests. If there is suspicion of cancer turns out to be correct, the patient is urgently hospitalized, treatment is developed and prescribed, and the relatives are issued a certificate of temporary disability of the patient.

How to identify the disease?

Now you know that signs of the disease may not be noticeable and it is important to diagnose brain cancer in time, before tumor processes have not fully developed. Even a simple blood test will show the presence inflammatory processes and the doctor will order an examination to identify the cause.

Useful to know: Brain hematoma: causes, signs and risk factors

As a rule, it is necessary to collect a detailed medical history from the patient and prescribe laboratory and instrumental methods studies: CT, MRI, lumbar puncture, angiography. If a tumor is detected in the brain during examination, a diagnostic biopsy is prescribed to identify the presence of a pathological process and begin treatment.

Treatment of the disease

For brain cancer, complex treatment is most often prescribed after a consultation, where doctors of different specializations develop special treatment for each patient individually. It all depends on the stage of the process, the age of the patient, the presence concomitant diseases, number of metastases, tumor size.

As a rule, this is a combination of drug therapy and surgery, since brain cancer is extremely aggressive and quickly depresses the patient. Developing symptoms only worsen the course of the disease. If you manage to defeat the disease at an early stage, then the symptoms of brain cancer recede and your health improves significantly.

Disease prognosis

For brain cancer, the prognosis depends on many factors. At stages 1 and 2, after surgical intervention and drug therapy, the prognosis is quite favorable. The patient quickly regains consciousness, is discharged home and remains under the supervision of an oncologist.

At stage 3 or 4, the prognosis is much worse. Symptoms significantly worsen the patient's condition, aggressive drug therapy and surgery cannot provide a 100% guarantee that other organs have not been attacked by cancer cells.