World Brain Tumor Day 2016

June 8th is observed as World Brain Tumor Day. This day was introduced by a German nonprofit organization called German Brain Tumor Association, which spreads awareness and provides support to brain tumor patients. As an honor to the people suffering from brain tumor and their families, the NGO announced June 8th as World Brain Tumor Day in the year 2000. The main agenda behind this day is to raise awareness of the fight against brain cancer, educating them on tumor types and accompanying symptoms.

Brain tumor is an illness in which the cells in the brain multiply in an abnormal and uncontrolled way. The tumor can be malignant (cancerous) or benign i.e. non-cancerous. The cause behind a tumor is still unknown but according to research the risks of being affected are higher for those with a genetic history. A primary brain tumor originates in the brain. But if the cells of a tumor growing elsewhere in the body end up affecting the brain then such a case is called secondary brain tumor or metastatic brain tumor. Brain tumors can affect anyone, at any age and must be diagnosed as early as possible for better chances of recovery.

What are the Symptoms of a Brain Tumor?

• Unexplained weakness of the limbs

• Seizures

• Drowsiness

• Slurred speech

• Difficulty walking

• Blurred eyesight

• Nausea/vomiting

• Persistent headaches

• Behavioral alterations and memory problems

Doctors address tumors by grades, the higher the grade, the more abnormal the growth. They are grouped as grade I, grade II, grade III and grade IV, latter being the most aggressive type. The most common types of primary tumors in adults are astrocytoma, meningioma and oligiodendroglioma. While in children medulloblastoma, ependymoma and brain stem glioma are dominant.

Treatment of brain tumor depends on the type and location of the tumor as well as its size. The best option is surgery wherein the surgeon will remove as much of the affected cells as possible without damaging the brain. In most cases it is difficult to remove the entire affected tissue and thus surgery is followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

What can be done on World Brain Tumor Day?

The main aim of this day is to spread awareness of brain tumor and come up with effective treatment options that are also within the means. Creating awareness involves management and living with the tumor. Affected people and their families can join support groups to better cope with the condition. Support groups help facing the oncoming challenges and provide hope to the affected persons. Fund raising campaigns are also held, the proceeds from which go to hospitals so that surgeons can make further research in understanding this disease.

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Brain Tumor Cancer Types and Treatment Options

What is Brain Tumor?

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain or central spine which can disrupt the functions of the brain. A brain tumor is a growth of abnormal cells in the brain. There are different types of a brain tumor some tumors are cancerous and some are noncancerous. When the tumors grow the inside the brain they can create the pressure inside the skull. This can cause brain damage which can be life-threatening. Brain tumors are categorized in primary or secondary type. Primary brain tumor originates in the brain and is generally benign. A secondary brain tumor is also referred as metastatic brain tumor which occurs when the cancer cells spread to the brain from another organ, such as the lungs or the breast. Brain tumor treatment options depend on the type of brain tumor the patient is suffering from. 

Symptoms of Brain Tumor

The signs and symptoms of a brain tumor vary from patient to patient. The symptoms the patient experience depends on the size of the brain tumor, location of the tumor and the growth of the tumor. Following are some of the symptoms of brain tumor:-

• Severe headaches
• Double vision.
•  Frequent headaches.
•  The difficulty with balance.
• Nausea.
•  Loss of peripheral vision.
• Vomiting
•  Blurred vision.
• Change in pattern of headaches.
• Behavior changes.
• Seizures.
•  Poor coordination.
• Loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg
• Short-term memory loss.
• Speech difficulties.
• Confusion.
•  Hearing problems.

Causes of Brain Tumor

The exact cause of most brain cancer is still unknown. Following factors can increase the risk of brain tumor:-

• Radiation to the head.
• Genetic factors.
• Environmental toxins.
• Cigarette smoking.
• HIV infection.

Treatment Options for Brain Tumor

The treatment options for brain tumor varies from patients to patients. The treatment option for a brain tumor depends on the type of the tumor, the size of the tumor and location of the tumor and overall health of the patient.

Surgery: - Surgery is recommended to patients if the brain tumor is located in a place that makes it accessible for an operation, the surgeon works to remove the brain tumor as much as possible. In some cases, the tumors are small and easy to remove from the surrounding brain tissue. In other cases if the tumors can't be separated from surrounding tissue or if the tumor is located near the sensitive areas of the brain then the surgery can be very risky for the  patient.  With the surgical option removing the portion of the brain tumor can help in reducing the signs and symptoms of the brain tumor.

Chemotherapy: - In Chemotherapy powerful drugs are used to kill the tumor cells. To treat brain tumor powerful Chemotherapy drugs are commonly used.

Radiation Therapy: - In Radiation therapy high-energy beams, are used to kill the tumor cells. Radiation therapy can be given externally and in rare cases the radiation is placed inside the body close to the brain tumor. External beam radiation can focus just on the area of the brain where the tumor is located, or it can be given to the entire brain.

Radiosurgery: - In radiosurgery multiple beams of radiation are used to give a highly focused form of radiation treatment to kill the tumor cells in a very small area. Each beam of the radiation is not powerful. There are different types of technology used in radiosurgery to deliver radiation to treat brain tumors, such as a Gamma Knife surgery or linear accelerator.

Targeted drug therapy: - Targeted drug treatments focus on the specific abnormalities present within cancer cells. Targeted drug therapy blocks the abnormalities.

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Headaches: Causes and Triggers

WHAT IS A HEADACHE?

A headache is an unpleasant pain experienced in any part of the head. It is the most common type of pain and people generally treat themselves simply with pain relievers or by having a rest. Its pain can be felt in the temples, forehead, scalp or at the back of the neck. The pain originates from tissues surrounding the brain. This layer of tissue, muscles that encase the skull, sinuses, eyes, ears, surface of the brain, spinal cord, can get inflamed or irritated thus causing headaches. Most people describe it as a “dull ache” or “sharp throbs” felt on part of the head or scalp.

Headaches can range from mild to moderate pain and can occur on both sides of the head, lasting from 30 minutes to weeks at a stretch.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF HEADACHES?

Headaches are classified in three major categories based upon the origin of the pain as -

•                Primary headaches:

Includes tension headaches, migraine and cluster headaches

•   Secondary headaches:

Caused by other medical problems, trauma or substance abuse

•         Cranial neuralgias, facial pain and others

Primary headache can affect the quality of living of a person. Some people experience dull headaches occasionally that resolve quickly while some others experience exhausting pains. These aches are not fatal but the symptoms coupled with them can imitate a stroke.

The most common type of headache is said to be tension headache, which is mild or moderate pain and in some cases intense pain in the head, neck and behind the eyes and is caused by tight muscles in the shoulder, neck or jaw. There is little knowledge of the exact causes of tension headaches. They are usually felt as a band or across the forehead, lasting for several days. More often than not, tension headaches are related to stress, anxiety, depression, injury to the head or abnormal positioning of the head and neck. It starts at the back of the head and moves onwards to the front, and feels like squeezing.

SYMPTOMS OF TENSION HEADACHES:

•                           Pain originates in the upper neck or the back of the head
•                           Pressure felt at the temples or over the eyebrows
•                    Pain is bilateral i.e. it affects both sides of the head
•                  Pain is not associated with aura i.e. light or sound
•                    The pain is sporadic but can occur daily for some people

Migraine headaches are second most common type of headaches that fall under this type. Migraines can affect children and adults equally. Before puberty, boy and girls experience migraine in the same way but after puberty, more women than men experience these pains. These pains are intense and often are accompanied with various symptoms like nausea, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light and sound, pain in the temples and even temporary vision loss.

Cluster headaches are a rare type of headaches most commonly affecting men in their 20s although women and children are likely to suffer from them too. It is a sharp and painful headache that shows up several times a day for months and then vanishes for a similar period. The pain lasts less than an hour and sometimes tends to occur at the same time every day.

SYMPTOMS OF CLUSTER HEADACHES:

           i.They begin quickly and without warning

         ii.The pain is deep and continuous

        iii.Pain may occur up to seven times a day but is of short durations

         iv. The pain begins around the eyes and the temples

          v. The pain is always one sided

    vi.These headaches are associated with redness of eyes and tear production, stuffy nose and sweating

Cluster headaches are more likely to be hereditary. Alcohol consumption can also cause this type of headache.

Secondary headaches are caused due to core problems in the neck and/or head. A broad spectrum of conditions can be the root cause of such headaches; ranging from infected teeth or sinus to life threatening conditions like bleeding in the brain or infections like encephalitis and meningitis. Treatment of such headaches means treatment of the cause.

Secondary headaches can be caused due to substance abuse, or due to its withdrawal. For example alcohol abuse causes throbbing headache the morning after. Dehydration also causes headache. Also lack of oxygen (or an excess of carbon mono oxide) in a poorly ventilated area may cause headache too.

Injury to the head may cause traumatic headaches which also fall into this category.

Neuralgia means nerve pain. Cranial neuralgia is the inflammation of one of the 12^th cranial nerve that controls the muscles and carries sensory signals to and from the head and neck. Trigeminal neuralgia is perhaps the most common of them, it affects the cranial nerve V (trigeminal nerve) which is the nerve that connects the face and causes severe facial pain when inflamed.

The pain consists of short throbs of electric shock-like sensations in the face – the area of the eyes, nose, lips, jaws, forehead or scalp and is triggered by touch. It is one sided and is often experienced by people of the age of 50 and above.

Sinus headaches cause pain in the front of the face and head. The pain is due to swelling of the sinus passage behind the cheeks, nose and eyes. The pain gets a little worse when the person bends forward or immediately after when they wake up in the morning. Some other types of headaches are caused by flu, fever or premenstrual.

A headache could also be a sign of something serious and these rare cases could be:

Bleeding in the area between the brain and the tissue that covers it (known as subarachnoid hemorrhage)

 High blood pressure

 Brain tumor

 Buildup of fluid inside the skull that results into brain swelling (hydrocephalus)

 Lack of oxygen during sleep (sleep apnea)

 Problems with the blood vessels such as arteriovenous malformation (AVM), aneurysm or stroke.

HOW CAN A HEADACHE BE DIAGNOSED?

A patient’s description of the headache and an examination by the doctor is sufficient to determine the type of headache. Some patients have more than one type of headache. Generally people don’t need an x-ray or an imaging test. A CT (or MRI) may be prescribed in certain circumstances if the symptoms are not self explanatory.

HOW CAN HEADACHES BE TREATED?

Some steps to be taken at home to manage headaches like migraines and tension headaches include -

For migraines

      Drink water to avoid dehydration

      Rest in a quiet and dark room

      Use relaxation techniques
      For tension headaches try pain killers but these should not be used too often.

Life style changes should be introduced to reduce occurrence of headaches. These can be:

•         Stop smoking
•        Reduce intake of alcohol
•         Decrease caffeine intake
•        A healthy sleep cycle
•        Dietary plan
•         Exercise

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