Jadudi, the Cancer warrior fought a good fight but sadly succumbed to the awful killer disease on Monday. While mourning his loss, this has led many to question alot about the disease.
Here’s everything you need to know about brain tumors and cancer, its causes and effects and symptoms.
Brain tumors are abnormal growths of cells in the brain. Although such growths are popularly called brain tumors, not all brain tumors are cancer. Cancer is a term reserved for malignant tumors.
Malignant tumors can grow and spread aggressively, overpowering healthy cells by taking their space, blood, and nutrients. They can also spread to distant parts of the body. Like all cells of the body, tumor cells need blood and nutrients to survive.
Tumors that do not invade nearby tissue or spread to distant areas are called benign.
In general, a benign tumor is less serious than a malignant tumor. But a benign tumor can still cause many problems in the brain by pressing on nearby tissue.
Brain cancer can have a wide variety of symptoms including seizures, sleepiness, confusion, and behavioral changes. Not all brain tumors are cancerous, and benign tumors can result in similar symptoms.
Metastatic brain tumors are made of cancerous cells from a tumor elsewhere in the body. The cells spread to the brain from another tumor in a process called metastasis. This is the most common type of brain tumor.
As with tumors elsewhere in the body, the exact cause of most brain cancer is unknown. Genetic factors, various environmental toxins, radiation to the head, HIV infection, and cigarette smoking have all been linked to cancers of the brain. In most cases, no clear cause can be shown.
Findings of your medical interview and physical exam will probably suggest to your health care provider that you have a problem with the brain or brain stem.
In most cases, you will have a CT scan of the brain. This test is like an X-ray, but shows more detail in three dimensions. Usually, a contrast dye is injected into your bloodstream to highlight abnormalities on the scan.
More often, the MRI scan is being used instead of a CT scan for suspected brain tumors. This is because MRI has a higher sensitivity for detecting the presence of, or changes within, a tumor. However, most institutions still use the CT scan as the first diagnostic test.
People with brain cancer often have other medical problems; therefore, routine lab tests may be performed. These include analysis of blood, electrolytes, and liver function tests.