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Traumatic brain injury(TBI) is the result of physical trauma to the head causing damage to the brain. This damage can be focal, or restricted to a single area of the brain, or diffuse, affecting more than one region of the brain.
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Breathing, blood flow, and movement are all controlled by the brain. The brain also allows you to think, handle emotions, and make judgments. After an injury, certain parts of the brain (or the links between these parts) may stop working. Some mental or physical skills may be lost. The loss may be short- or long-term. The full effects of a brain injury may not appear for months or even years.
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Controls mental and physical actions of the organism.The brain, with the spinal cord and network of nerves, controls information flow throughout the body, voluntary actions, such as walking, reading, and talking, and involuntary reactions, such as...
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A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain. Unlike other tumors, brain tumors spread by local extension and rarely metastasize(spread) outside the brain.
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This article focuses on primary brain tumors in adults.Primary brain tumors include any tumor that starts in the brain. Tumors may be confined to a small area, invasive(spread to nearby areas), benign(not cancerous), or malignant(cancerous).Tumors...
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Detailed information on brain tumors, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, types, and treatment
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A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue, either malignant(cancerous) or benign(noncancerous), in the brain. Each year, more than 17,000 brain tumors are diagnosed in the United States.A benign brain tumor is composed of slow-growing noncance...
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There are many types of brain tumors, including primary and secondary brain tumors. Primary brain tumors are named by the type of brain tissue in which they are found. The most common primary brain tumors are gliomas, which begin in the glial, or supportive, tissue of the brain.
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Before your doctor can recommend a treatment plan, he or she needs to know the grade of the cancer. The grade tells these things about the tumor.
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Screening tests check for signs of cancer in people who don't have any symptoms. Unfortunately, no screening or blood tests exist that can detect a brain tumor early. The tumor is usually found after symptoms appear. Because brain tumors are rare, screening the majority of the population is neither possible nor justifiable. If you ever experience new symptoms, such as headaches or weakness, see a doctor.
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If you have symptoms of a brain tumor, your doctor will first ask questions about these symptoms. Next, the doctor will get your complete medical history and give you a physical exam. In addition to checking your overall health, the doctor will do a neurological exam to observe the way you walk, talk, and move.
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The brain is a complex organ made up of many different cells and parts. Many types of cancer can form in the brain. The type of brain tumor a person has depends on where it began and the cells it is made of. Doctors call cancer that begins in the brain a primary brain tumor.
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The members of your health care team will work with you during the course of your treatment. They help guide you through your treatment choices, address your questions and concerns, and give you support. Following are some of the people who make up your health care team, and some of the words you may hear:
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Adjusting to your diagnosis and treatment can be hard for both you and your loved ones. It will take time. But there are things you can do to make the process easier.
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A brain tumor is a type of cancer. And there are very few things scarier than being told you have cancer. You may feel like you are in shock. You may not even want to believe what the doctor has told you. And there are probably so many questions you want to ask but think you can't because you don't know where to start.
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Elaine learned she had a tumor deep within her brain. After recovering from brain surgery, Elaine started getting lost on short trips to the grocery store--the same store she'd been driving to for years. Then she began having trouble with numbers, such as balancing her checkbook. After returning to work, she had trouble focusing on complex tasks. Often she could not remember conversations with coworkers. These problems continued after Elaine switched to an easier position. She eventually quit working altogether.
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Surgery is usually the first step in treating a brain tumor. For this treatment, you see a doctor who specializes in surgery on the brain or nerves, called a neurosurgeon. To remove a brain tumor, a neurosurgeon will cut a hole in your skull. It is like making a small window in the skull. This surgery is called a craniotomy.
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When you are being treated for a brain tumor, it is likely that you will have side effects. Depending on how advanced your cancer is, you may also have symptoms of the disease. For instance, cancer that has spread can cause symptoms such as pressure or pain, or it may interfere with the function of an organ.
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The brain controls the body. Each part of the brain has a role. When you have a tumor, the part of the brain surrounding it may be damaged. Then the brain can't do its job properly.
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Treating your cancer to get the best results is important. But your quality of life also matters. Let your doctor and nurse know if you are experiencing any side effects or discomfort. Make sure you tell your doctor or nurse how these problems affect your day-to-day life. Your healthcare team is there to help you manage your symptoms as well as to treat your cancer.
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Brain tumors often cause symptoms. Also, your treatment is likely to produce some side effects. To help you feel better, your doctor may prescribe medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible interaction with other medications.
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Certain factors can make one person more likely to get a brain tumor than another person. These are called risk factors. Although such risk factors do exist, a person who has one or more risk factors will not always get a brain tumor. In fact, you can have all the risk factors and still not get a brain tumor, or you can have no known risk factors and still get the disease.
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Because no one knows what causes brain tumors, it is hard to say what will prevent them. You can do certain things to reduce your risk of getting a brain tumor. One thing is to avoid exposure to radiation. If radiation is prescribed to treat another kind of cancer, the benefits it brings in treating that cancer usually outweigh these risks.
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Brain tumors can affect your ability to think, remember, reason, and concentrate. Follow these tips to improve your quality of life and reduce frustration.
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Researchers are finding new treatments for brain tumors. People with brain tumors now have more hope for living longer than ever before.
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Brain tumor symptoms depend on the size and location of the tumor. These symptoms are caused by the damage the tumor does to specific parts of the brain.
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Different types of brain tumor treatments have different goals. Here is a list of treatments and their goals.
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Some people use statistical reports to try to figure out their chance of getting cancer or of being cured. Remember that statistics show what happens with large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, statistics can't be used to know or predict what will happen to you.
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Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. The drugs are made to attack and kill cells that divide rapidly. Cancer cells divide rapidly, as do some normal cells. Chemotherapy can affect those rapidly dividing normal cells in the body. Normal cells may be affected based on these factors.
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Here are some frequently asked questions about brain tumors. Q: What is the brain, and how does it work?
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Survival rates show the percentage of people with a certain type and stage of cancer who survive it for a certain period of time after they are diagnosed. A 5-year survival rate is the percentage of people who are alive 5 years after they are diagnosed. These are the people it includes.
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Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of various childhood brain tumors.
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Side effects of chemotherapy depend on the type and amount of drugs you take and the length of your treatment. Because chemotherapy drugs kill rapidly dividing cells, the drugs can damage healthy cells that divide quickly, such as blood cells or cells of the intestinal tract, as well. This can result in low white blood cell numbers, which may increase your risk of infection.
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Detailed information on brain tumors, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, types, and treatment
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Detailed information on brain tumors, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, types, and treatment
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A cerebral arteriovenous malformation is an abnormal connection between the arteries and veins in the brain that usually forms before birth.The cause of cerebral arteriovenous malformation(AVM) is unknown. The condition occurs when arteries in the...
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You have been told that you have an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). An AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels within the brain. Over time, pressure can build up and the AVM can rupture (burst). If you have an AVM, you were probably born with it. But most people don't know they have one until a problem occurs. Signs of an AVM include bad headaches, blurred or double vision, and seizures (jerking movements that are out of your control).
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