Brain cancer

Brain cancer – the standard name combining the whole group of the malignant tumors coming from various brain fabrics. Usually the tumor is called on cellular structure, for example neurinoma – tumors of cranial nerves, meningiomas – tumors from cells of a meninx, hypophysis adenoma – a tumor from cells of ferruterous fabric, etc. Cancer of a brain occurs among other malignant diseases rather seldom, statistically it makes 5-6% of all malignant tumors. Seldom happens primary, that is developed in a brain, secondary cancer of a brain, that is the metastasises which came from the tumor formed in other body meets more often.

Brain cancer origins

The reasons for which at the person brain cancer develops still are up to the end not studied, as well as in case of many other oncological diseases. In certain cases the previous skull injury plays a role, sometimes symptoms of cancer of brain are for the first time shown after the postponed infectious disease. There are data on influence of genetic predisposition, ionizing radiation, high level of environmental pollution, reception with food of a large amount of carcinogens. But these factors can be carried only to promoting as to direct dependence between them and cancer of a brain it is not established.

Brain cancer symptoms

Symptoms of cancer of brain can be various, depending on in what department of a brain the tumor and what structures it squeezes is located. Most often attacks of dizziness and a persistent headache though sometimes she joins only in far come brain cancer stage happen the first sign. The headache generally develops in the mornings, as a rule, amplifies at a certain position of the head, often the patient adopts the forced provision in which the headache is less. If the visual zone of a brain is touched, sight is broken if structures of a cerebellum are touched, coordination and gait suffers, the speech becomes muffled, greased; if an acoustical nerve, then are noted a ring in ears and decrease in hearing and so on.

In process of growth of a tumor symptoms of increase in intracranial pressure join, attacks of nausea, vomiting appear. Vomiting in this case gives only short-term relief. Problems with memory, attention, ability to concentrate and be guided are noted, also heavier frustration of mentality, for example, of a hallucination can appear. Sensitivity in various body parts is sometimes broken. There can be attacks as epileptic. Manifestations depend also on a brain cancer stage, at the extensive tumors causing a strong prelum and intoxication, symptoms of cancer of brain will be more expressed.

In general, symptoms of cancer of brain are not specific, i.e. inherent only in this disease, but the combination of several of them has to be the cause to register in appointment.

Diagnosis of cancer of brain

The most informative diagnostic method of cancer of brain is brain MRT (a magnetic and resonant tomography) or CT (computer tomography). These methods allow to visualize a tumor - to determine its exact sizes, location and degree of involvement of surrounding structures in tumoral process. The experienced doctor can assume cellular structure of a tumor already on symptoms of cancer of brain and its localization, but to make the exact diagnosis, the biopsy – a laboratory research of tumoral fabric is necessary. For obvious reasons it is possible to take brain tissue for a research already only during operation on an oncotomy therefore the final specified diagnosis at diagnosis of cancer of brain can be made only after surgical intervention.

Cancer therapy of a brain

Treatment of all cancer diseases sticks on three foundations to oncology: surgical oncotomy, chemotherapy and radiation. Cancer therapy of a brain differs in the fact that here the chemotherapy is ineffective because of the existing blood-brain barrier complicating penetration of medicinal substances into brain tissue. Though now the drugs for brain cancer chemotherapy breaking a barrier are already created, nevertheless the chemotherapy remains auxiliary, or as oncologists speak, an adjuvant method of cancer therapy of a brain in this case.

The main method of cancer therapy of a brain - surgical removal. Unfortunately, not all tumors of a brain manage to be removed completely. In certain cases the tumor is located among the vital structures, and sprouts them so strongly that the full, total resection without damage of substance of a brain is impossible. In that case do a so-called subtotal resection, and the remained sites of a tumor after operation destroy by means of radiation and chemotherapy.

Recently at cancer therapy of a brain are widely and successfully applied the cyberknife equipment and a gamma knife, representing precisely directed impact on a tumor the high exposure doses causing its disintegration. Similar methods are so effective that they in case of small tumors can be applied as the main method of treatment, saving from need of surgical intervention.

Brain cancer - the forecast

The forecast of a disease depends on that how in time cancer therapy of a brain was begun. Besides, for the forecast of cancer of brain both the cellular structure of a tumor, and degree of a maturity of tumor cells, and growth tendencies matter. As well as in case of other cancer diseases, cancer of a brain can be successfully cured if to find an early stage of process. Primary tumors have more favorable forecast. As cancer of a brain belongs to tumors with high tendency to a recurrence, doctors with care speak about treatment, replacing this word with the term "permanent remission", and recommending to the patients who reached permanent remission to undergo preventive inspection regularly.