Brain Tumor

Stated simply in layman’s terms, brain tumor is a lump formed in the brain because some damaged cells multiply uncontrollably. There are around 120 types of brain tumor, most of which can be cured if identified early enough. These tumors can be benign or malignant. The primary ones are the kind which originates in the brain itself and the secondary ones which have originated in some other region of the body and then spread to the brain. The major risk is of the tumor enlarging so much that it creates excessive pressure within the skull. If it presses on a sensitive area, this can put the patient into a coma, or even prove fatal. With more than a million people in India diagnosed with brain tumor annually, it is obviously a serious health issue. When you realize that there would be numerous people in rural areas who never reach the kind of health facility where it could be identified, you will realize that the figure could easily be twice or more. There are many ways brain tumor can present itself. Unexplained weight loss, confusion, nausea, clumsiness, splitting headaches which get worse progressively, vision changes, numbness, seizures, changes in memory, and personality deviations are some of the conditions which should alert you. Genetics and overexposure to radiation are the leading causes of the brain tumor. Treatment can vary in accordance with the presentation. Some patients respond very well to medicines; others need chemotherapy. In some cases, the doctors find it necessary to operate.

Content Reviewed by – Asian Hospital Medical Editors