Brain tumor

Brain tumor or Brain tumor is a cancer of the brain. A distinction can be made between benign and malignant tumor forms. In brain tumors, the nerve cells and meninges are particularly affected. Children are more often affected by brain tumors than adults.

What is a brain tumor?

Tumors are tissue changes that are not contagious in humans. However, they can be hereditary. A distinction is made between benign and malignant tumors. Click to enlarge.

Brain tumors or Brain tumors can be subdivided into malignant or benign tumors. This leads to the formation of tumors inside the brain (from the nerve cells) or on the meninges. Furthermore, a brain tumor can form metastases, which then develop as daughter tumors in the brain or form tumors via the bloodstream in other organs or body regions.

Benign brain tumors are:

• Meningiomas
• Neuromas
• Craniopharyngiomas
• Pituitary gland tumors (pituitary adenomas)
• Low grade astrocytomas

Malignant brain tumors include:

• Lymphoma
• Melanoma
• Anaplastic astrocytomas
• Medulloblastomas
• Oligodendrogliomas
• Ependymomas

causes

The causes of the emergence of Brain tumor and brain tumors have not yet been fully researched. As with other forms of cancer, however, it is assumed that there are triggering carcinogenic substances. Long-term contact with chemical substances, such as pesticides, is the main cause. Other causes that have been researched so far are hereditary predispositions. For example, genetic defects in Recklinghausen's disease can lead to tumors.

Causes such as stress, cell phone calls, brain contusions and other head injuries have not yet been proven to cause brain tumors.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

A brain tumor often manifests itself as a sudden headache that increases in intensity over days or weeks. These brain tumor headaches occur primarily at night and early in the morning and get better during the day. Normal pain relievers only marginally alleviate the symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are also typical symptoms of a brain tumor.

Due to the rise in pressure in the brain, nausea occurs especially in the morning hours, which only decreases again during the day. A brain tumor can cause a number of other symptoms, depending on its location in the brain. If symptoms occur predominantly on the left side of the body, the tumor may be in the right hemisphere.

Brain tumor symptoms on the right side suggest a tumor in the left hemisphere. Neurological deficits then occur on the affected side of the body, for example symptoms of paralysis, numbness and unusual itching on the skin. Swallowing disorders, speech disorders, hearing loss and dizziness are also possible symptoms. A brain tumor can also cause visual disturbances.

Usually a certain area in the field of vision fails - those affected only see a black spot. These visual field defects are associated, for example, with double vision and veiled vision. Depending on the size and location of the tumor, hormonal disorders, impaired memory and personality changes can also occur.

Course of disease

Schematic representation of the location of a brain tumor in the brain. Click to enlarge.

The course of a Brain tumor can be complicated because even after successful surgery, the disease can recur. Thus, a brain tumor can be recurrent, i.e. to be recurring again. Follow-up examinations as well as constant examinations are therefore inevitable. If a malignant brain tumor is not discovered in time or is not treated, the death of the person affected is almost 100% likely.

As after a treated brain operation, serious complications can occur, especially without therapy. These include, above all, the typical symptoms, such as reduced mental performance, epileptic seizures and visual disturbances. The long-term prognosis for brain tumors is very different and, above all, individual.

Benign tumors that do not grow slowly are usually easier to remove and do not recur. A favorable prognosis can then be assumed here. In the case of malignant tumors that may have already metastasized, the prognosis is rather poor. Often there are further incidents in the body, which are usually fatal. However, there are also cases of spontaneous healing that cannot yet be scientifically explained.

Complications

A brain tumor leads to relatively serious complaints and complications that can extremely limit and complicate the patient's everyday life and quality of life. In most cases, the increased pressure in the brain leads to severe headaches. These headaches are associated with nausea and, in most cases, vomiting. The affected person also suffers from visual disturbances and hearing problems.

The thinking and acting of the person affected is also negatively influenced by the brain tumor, so that speech disorders and coordination disorders occur. It is not uncommon for psychological complaints and personality disorders to occur. These have a negative impact on the patient's social life. Furthermore, paralysis and other sensory disorders are not uncommon. As a rule, it cannot be predicted in which part of the body these disorders will occur.

The treatment of the brain tumor takes place either surgically or with the help of radiation. The further course depends on whether the tumor has already spread to other areas and how much damage has already been caused by the tumor. The brain tumor may reduce life expectancy.

When should you go to the doctor?

If symptoms such as headache, nausea and vomiting have persisted for a long time that do not go away on their own, a doctor should be consulted. A brain tumor often manifests itself through psychological changes that cannot be traced back to any specific cause. People who notice symptoms in themselves or others should consult a doctor. Medical advice is required at the latest when memory lapses, speech or vision disorders or paralysis occur.

If neurological failures occur repeatedly, the emergency doctor must be called. The same applies to cerebral seizures and sudden, sharp headaches. People who have had cancer in the past should speak to their family doctor immediately if they have symptoms mentioned. Likewise people who have frequent contact with chemical substances or are hereditary. Patients with Recklinghausen's disease are particularly prone to brain tumors and should have any unusual signs cleared up quickly. In addition to the general practitioner, a neurologist or a specialist in tumor diseases can be called in. If you have severe symptoms, you should go to the nearest hospital immediately.

Doctors & therapists in your area

Treatment & Therapy

If there is any suspicion Brain tumor, a doctor should be consulted quickly for further examination. The earlier a tumor or cancer is discovered and treated, the better the chances of recovery.

The therapy of brain tumors nowadays follows two basic directions. On the one hand, an attempt is made to remove the brain tumor and its lumps through surgical interventions. The attending physician must weigh up whether this is technically possible at all, as operations on the brain are still one of the most complicated and risky surgical interventions.

On the other hand, radiation therapy or chemotherapy can be used to shrink and kill metastases and tumors. Both methods can also be used in combination, i.e. supportive. In the case of a malignant brain tumor, it is not always possible to completely remove all ulcers, as vital areas can also be affected. The main goal here is to reduce the size of the tumor in order to reduce intracranial pressure.

Outlook & forecast

A brain tumor is a serious condition that urgently requires appropriate treatment. The prospect and prognosis of a full recovery strongly depend on when the diagnosis is made. The earlier the brain tumor is detected, the better the chances of a quick and full recovery. If the affected person seeks medical treatment at an early stage, the tumor can ideally be removed without any problems.

If a surgical procedure is carried out too late, the smooth removal of such a tumor is no longer possible. In the worst case, metastases spread, so that there is an acute danger to life. The renouncement of medical and drug treatment leads to a significantly more difficult course of the disease. Independent recovery without treatment is not possible, so a brain tumor will be fatal.

An early diagnosis is very important and significant in the case of a brain tumor, as this can have a positive influence on the prospect of a full recovery. Immediate and permanent treatment is just as important, so that the chances of a full recovery increase. Without any treatment, the chances of recovery are very slim.

Aftercare

As with all tumorous diseases, close follow-up care is initially required after treatment. The aim of this is to detect any new tumors or metastases very early on. In the case of a brain tumor, follow-up checks are therefore carried out several times a year at intervals of a few months.

If no abnormalities are found, the intervals between the next inspection will increase. Whether there are any new growths is usually checked via MRI or CT. Precisely because malignant brain tumors often have a high risk of recurrence despite initial successful treatment, it is important that those affected keep their appointments for follow-up care regularly.

The prognosis for new tumors is more favorable the earlier they are discovered. New brain tumors do not always immediately lead to symptoms that should warn the patient. Findings in need of treatment are often discovered by chance during follow-up care.

However, if you notice unusual pain outside of the follow-up check-ups, this is always a reason to see the treating doctor as soon as possible. The doctor can decide whether the next follow-up appointment should be brought forward in order to be able to rule out the possibility that new tumors have formed as soon as possible.

You can do that yourself

After the diagnosis has been made, in-depth information about the disease, about therapy and support options is important. The brain tumor information service provides information on specialist clinics and experts for interdisciplinary treatments and second opinions. Patients should ask their caregivers for help. Preparing for consultations with a doctor and jotting down questions help patients in everyday clinical practice.

Preventive powers of attorney and legal support are security measures in the case of advanced illness. People with brain tumors should use the time with few complaints to find out what else they want to experience. Now is the time to clarify interpersonal relationships and regulations in the event of death. Psychotherapeutic or psychosocial support can be helpful. Self-help groups on site and on the Internet offer exchange, e.g .: self-help group-gehirntumor.de, the cancer information service and the German brain tumor aid.

Self-help options also include exercise and sport, yoga and meditation. A good maxim for a person suffering from a brain tumor can be the balance between the quantity and quality of life.

Some people achieve a focus on their strengths and their wholeness, on positive outlooks and goals in their remaining life. Life, even with a serious illness, contains not only deep despair, but also highs after therapeutic success. Above all, however, it contains many intermediate stages that can be lived.