Brain tumor is a terrible disease, the frequency of which has become higher in recent years. All cases can be divided into two categories: benign and malignant. However, if a disease of the first category is diagnosed, this is not a reason to relax: without adequate treatment, the consequences can be the saddest. Only a highly qualified doctor can choose the right therapeutic approach. Will have to prepare for a long treatment.
General information
A benign brain tumor is a pathology that is diagnosed if some formation of organic tissue cells has formed in the brain. The type of tumor is determined by analyzing what type of cells it consists of.
The process acquires a malignant character if the neoplasm is able to grow into the surrounding areas, destroying organic tissues. A malignant brain tumor is formed from immature cellular structures. Sometimes the cause is cells brought into the bloodstream from other organs. In this case, metastases are diagnosed.
Modernmedicine knows several types of brain tumors that occur with different frequencies. The names were chosen based on the fabrics that gave rise to the process. Accepted classification:
- schwannomas (from Schwann cells, elements surrounding brain nerves);
- ependymomas (formed from cells that line the inside of the cerebral ventricles);
- meningiomas (formed from membranes);
- adenomas (glandular);
- osteomas (bone);
- hemangioblastomas (from blood vessels).
There are cases when signs of a brain tumor were observed in infants - the disease was congenital. More often, teratomas, cysts, angiomas, craniopharyngiomas develop according to this type. Modern medicine knows some other types, the frequency of which is relatively low.
Features of varieties
A fairly common type of brain tumor in adults is meningioma. In the predominant percentage of cases, the neoplasm is benign, but removal does not yet guarantee an absolute cure - over time, the tumor can appear again. The risk group for such a disease includes women in the reproductive period of life, although there are cases when the disease developed in children and the elderly.
It is difficult to describe all the possible symptoms of a brain tumor, because they are extremely diverse. Everything is determined by the nature of the process, the size and speed of growth, localization. A large tumor can be suspected due to a decrease in intelligence, dementia.
Malignanta neoplasm develops more often, because atypical cells enter the bloodstream, that is, cancer is secondary - these are metastases of a neoplasm that has formed in some organ. Especially high is the risk of spreading elements throughout the body:
- lymphomas;
- melanoma.
Metastasis is characteristic of malignant processes in the respiratory and circulatory system, cancer localized in the mammary gland. All of them with a high degree of probability penetrate into the brain tissue, where they begin to grow. If secondary cancer is detected, and metastases are found in the brain, as a rule, this is the last, fourth stage. A brain tumor can appear at one point in the organ, or it can develop in several areas at the same time.
Danger haunts constantly
Symptoms of a brain tumor can appear unexpectedly, suddenly: the disease develops in perfectly he althy people. Malignant cancer is not always secondary: there is a risk that the neoplasm will form from brain cells. More often, gliomas are diagnosed, the basis of which is glial cells, which are necessary for the viability and functioning of neurons. The most common malignant glioma in medicine has been called “glioblastoma multiforme.”
Very great danger associated with rapidly growing malignant neoplasms in the brain:
- anaplastic astrocytoma;
- oligodendroglioma.
Children have a relatively high incidence of medulloblastoma. The risk of thisneoplasms are more characteristic of adolescence, when the maturation of the reproductive system occurs.
Relatively rare are very dangerous sarcomas, adenocarcinomas. Since these neoplasms are not formed from nervous tissue, the risk of their appearance in the brain is relatively small.
On the dangers
As specific studies have shown, both women and men may equally need treatment for a brain tumor - there is no pronounced link to gender. Some varieties are more often diagnosed in men, others are more susceptible to the fairer sex, but the picture as a whole is quite uniform. In recent years, the incidence of lymphoma has increased. There is no scientific explanation for this fact yet. People with AIDS are at greater risk of recognizing the symptoms of a brain tumor of this type.
Currently, several therapy options have been developed. The most categorical is considered the most effective - the operation. A brain tumor, unfortunately, is far from always operable, so not every patient can undergo such a course. Statistics show that the two-year survival rate for tumor processes of a malignant nature localized in this organ is no more than a quarter of patients.
Prospects are slightly better if you manage to seek help at the first symptoms of a brain tumor. The latter, however, are often quite lubricated, so they are rarely given attention until it is too late. It is known that predictions are slightly better ifoligodendroglioma, astrocytoma were established - after undergoing a therapeutic course, such neoplasms usually do not begin to grow again. Up to half of those treated for medulloblastoma live five years or more after diagnosis.
The best prospects are in patients who have been able to detect symptoms of a brain tumor at an early stage, and studies have identified anaplastic astrocytoma. Survival is higher among patients whose age is less than 45 years. Persons who have a resectable neoplasm have been identified can count on a positive outcome.
Manifestations
At the initial stage, a brain tumor may not manifest itself with any symptoms at all. You can suspect the disease at a time when the tissues of the organ are already beginning to collapse, or the neoplasm is squeezing neighboring areas. Symptoms are not determined by the nature of the disease: malignant, benign tumors can manifest themselves in a similar way. But primary and secondary cancer have clear differences: if the processes occur against the background of neoplasms in other organs, the patient has probably already encountered the symptoms of the underlying disease.
The first symptoms of a brain tumor will depend on the location of the process, growth activity, size. Some types, as it was possible to reveal, can grow to quite large sizes before changes in the state of he alth of the patient begin. There are also cases when the slightest neoplasms already become the cause of improper functioning.brain department, which means that you can contact the doctor as quickly as possible.
Notice from the start
As a rule, the very first manifestation is headaches. However, patients rarely pay enough attention to this, and you can always find a huge number of explanations for headaches. A distinctive feature of the main symptom of a brain tumor for the first stage is a tendency to relapse, unpredictability, and duration. Attempts at drug control do not give a pronounced result. Usually the pain syndrome is strong, but attracts attention only if the person has not previously suffered from headaches. Often the pain is activated at night, continues in the morning and afternoon.
In the early stages of a brain tumor, there are usually problems with coordination and balance. Sometimes patients complain that they see double vision, dizziness. True, not everyone has such manifestations: it all depends on the specifics of the localization of the problem.
Vomiting, nausea, a change in the speed and rhythm of the heartbeat, respiratory rate come a little later. From time to time the patient develops a fever, the temperature rises sharply, soon the symptoms also unpredictably disappear, but from time to time the attacks last longer. At the last stage, the main symptom is a symptom of a brain tumor - strong pressure drops. This is more typical of people approaching a tragic denouement.
Features of manifestations
In some cases, a symptom of an early-stage brain tumor is seizures. It's inherentbenign neoplasms, and from malignant ones, those that develop rather slowly usually manifest themselves in this way. But with a rapidly growing tumor, convulsions in the initial stages are recorded only in a relatively small percentage of patients.
It is known that the tumor process can cause muscle weakness or paralysis of the limbs of one half of the body. It is possible to change the ability to perceive temperature, pressure, contacts. In some cases, the tumor process can be suspected by the inhibition of the functions of hearing, vision, perception of taste, smell. Since the neoplasm compresses the structures of the brain, the patient may be drawn to sleep. Symptoms of a brain tumor include:
- confused mind;
- personal change;
- impaired ability to think.
True, at the initial stages, these problems occur only in a small percentage of patients, more often the symptoms indicate the progress of the disease. When observing such manifestations, it is urgent to make an appointment with a doctor for a detailed study of the condition.
Special types and features
Relatively slowly developing neoplasms, recently occurring more often than before - oligodendrogliomas, astrocytomas. They belong to those few types, the first manifestations of which are precisely convulsions. But similar in localization, but malignant forms often manifest themselves as violations of brain functions. Most often, patients report loss of sensation, gait instability,general weakness.
Worst prognosis if glioblastoma multiforme is detected. This neoplasm grows very quickly, but the removal of a brain tumor at the stage when it was detected is almost impossible to do. In the cavities of the brain, the pressure increases very quickly, the patient becomes lethargic, constantly suffering from pain in the head. A further increase in pressure on nearby structures leads to a coma.
If the formation is benign and formed from the membranes of the brain, the symptoms vary greatly. In some cases, patients report numbness of the limbs, weakness, or seizures similar to convulsions. For others, the sense of smell suffers, the eyes protrude, their functionality is impaired. There are cases when, against the background of the process, patients became inhibited, memory was disturbed, and signs characteristic of Alzheimer's disease appeared.
Pituitary
The pituitary gland is called the brain gland, located at the base of the organ. Its main task is to control the functions of the endocrine glands. In medical practice, pituitary tumors are quite common, but the main percentage of cases belongs to the category of benign. In this case, the gland produces an excess of hormonal compounds. It is he who becomes the cause of the manifestations, on the basis of which the patient comes for examination. A pituitary tumor can give itself away:
- gigantism;
- acromegaly;
- Cushing's syndrome;
- hyperthyroidism;
- amenorrhea;
- galactorrhea;
- gynecomastia.
Due to a pituitary tumor, some glands can be inhibited, so the patient's body is deficient in certain types of hormones.
Sometimes pituitary tumors manifest themselves as a headache and impaired visual function: visual fields gradually narrow.
Epiphysis
No less important for the functioning of the brain, iron is located in the center of the organ and is called the pineal gland. It sets biological rhythms, ensures the adequacy of the ratio of time that a person spends on sleep and wakefulness. Tumor processes in the epiphysis are more common in children, provoked by premature puberty. In such a situation, germinal tumors are diagnosed. Due to the neoplasm, it is possible to slow down the outflow of fluid in the brain cavities, which means that the volume of the organ increases. This may be the cause of hydrocephalus or cause severe brain damage in general.
You can suspect a neoplasm in the pineal gland by the symptoms:
- heartbeat rhythm failures;
- vomiting and nausea;
- sick and dizzy;
- unpredictable bouts of fever;
- lowering the level of consciousness;
- weakness;
- convulsive states;
- unevenness, inconsistency of breathing;
- temporary clouding of consciousness;
- hearing impairment;
- loss of sensation and tingling of limbs;
- leg paralysis;
- weakened abilitypay attention.
Where did the trouble come from?
The following factors can provoke a brain tumor:
- genetic predisposition;
- racial affiliation (people of Caucasian race are more susceptible, but meningioma is more often observed in people with African roots);
- age (those over 45 are at risk for most species).
Higher risk of becoming a victim of a neoplasm in the brain if a person was exposed to radiation, or his work was associated with the harmful production of chemical components.
How to tell?
If you suspect a neoplasm in the brain, you must undergo a full examination. They are sent to him if at least one of the symptoms mentioned above has appeared: since the disease is terrible, doctors prefer to play it safe. First, the patient is sent for an examination to a neurologist to clarify all the features of the disorders, after which they choose which additional methods to apply to clarify the features of the case.
Often, the patient is referred for an x-ray, but in fact this event provides little useful information. X-ray allows you to clarify a benign neoplasm in the pituitary gland or meningioma, but in other situations will not provide useful data on the patient's condition.
The most informative and popular method available in almost any modern hospital is computed, magnetic resonance imaging. ATwork using specialized high-precision machines. When examining a patient using such a device, the doctor can determine the size of the neoplasm, identify the specifics of localization, developmental features. To clarify the data on all the foci that the tomography showed, they are sent to more highly specialized research activities.
Continuing the theme: different types of diagnostics
From statistics it is known that with pituitary adenoma, patients often seek medical help at the stage when the neoplasm begins to put pressure on the optic nerve. The patient is sent for a blood test, the results of which can be concluded about an abnormally high concentration of certain types of hormonal compounds. To detect a neoplasm and its localization, they are sent for tomography.
Some other tumors can also cause hormonal changes. To identify the specific type and nature of the process, a biopsy is required. The procedure involves taking samples of organic tissue for histological analysis.
Malignant cells can be obtained by taking samples of spinal cord fluid for study. Such an analysis is contraindicated if increased pressure inside the skull is expected - modern devices are such that they can lead to a sharp change in this indicator if the integrity of organic tissues is violated. This will cause severe complications of the tumor, when the pressure builds up, the brain tissue is pressed into the cranial foramen and the brain stem is squeezed. This provokes a violation of the necessary for lifebody functions. Such a condition with a high degree of probability can cause coma, death.
How to treat?
When a patient is referred for a biopsy, usually doctors suggest combining the procedure with surgery if the tumor is suitable for this method of treatment. Specialized high-precision devices are used for the event, and the doctor has access to a three-dimensional detailed image of the tissues inside the patient's brain. Thanks to this accuracy, it is possible to guide the needle as accurately as possible without harming he althy cells nearby. Modern methods are less traumatic, however, the possibilities of their application are severely limited.
In general, the treatment program is chosen based on the location and nature of the neoplasm, type and size. In some cases, surgery is available, but it also happens that removal is not possible, because the risk of harming he althy tissues is too high, which means that the procedure will lead to paralysis, weakening of the intellect, or even death.
The operation is performed with the consent of the patient or his guardian, regardless of the risks, if further growth threatens the life of the patient. Even if the event cannot cure the patient, it will cause a certain improvement in the condition: the size of the neoplasm is reduced, and with them, the manifestations of the disease also recede for a while. The patient can live longer, the quality of life improves somewhat, and doctors have time to use alternative therapy options - chemotherapy, radiation. In some cases theyshow good results.
