World Brain Tumor Day is celebrated every year on 8th June. This initiative was initially taken by German Brain Tumor Association in the year 2000 and is now celebrated worldwide to raise awareness and educate people about the brain tumor.
World Brain Tumor Day
Abnormal cells when form within the grain is called a Brain Rumor. The actual cause of Tumor in the brain is unknown, however research shows that the only probable factor causing this might be an exposure to radiations of any kind for reference up to 4% of brain cancers may be caused by CT scan radiation.
Brain tumors may originate from neural elements within the brain itself, or they may represent spread of distant cancers from any other organ of the body like lungs, breast, kidney or prostate cancer. Primary brain tumor includes Gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, and acoustic neuromas.
Also some other factors might be an exposure to Vinyl Chloride used is PVC making in plastic industries, ionizing radiations or nuclear radiations.
The Diagnosis is usually by medical examination along with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as per the instructions/suggestion by a neurosurgeon or neuro physician under expert guidance. Treatment may include some combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
MRI and CT scan: Doctors may use these imaging techniques in the diagnosis of a brain tumor.
Angiogram: It is also an imaging technique. In this test, a dye is injected into the bloodstream. If a tumor is present, then the image may show the tumor or blood vessels that are filling the tumor.
Neurologic exam: This test includes testing of hearing, alertness, vision, muscle strength, coordination, & reflexes.
Spinal tap: In this test, a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is collected with the help of a long thin needle. This technique is known as lumbar puncture.
What is Brain Tumor?
A tumor is basically an abnormal lump or growth of cells. A brain tumor is a mass growth of abnormal cells in the brain.
In the body, there are mainly two main types of tumors namely
• Benign
• Malignant
If the cells in the tumor are normal, it is benign (it means something wrong happened and the cells overgrew and produced a lump). If the cells are abnormal and start growing uncontrollably, then they are cancerous cells, and the tumor is malignant. A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells produce within any part of the brain. The tumor can be benign (non-cancerous) and Malignant (cancerous).
Symptoms of Brain Tumor
Various types of brain tumors exist. Some are noncancerous and some are cancerous. It can begin in the brain or cancer can begin in other parts of the body and then spread to the brain as secondary brain tumors.
Brain Tumors can have different signs based on their location in the brain as brain is considered the main unit of central nervous system and can have effects and symptoms as follows.
larger tumors in the frontal lobe can cause changes in the ability to think.
smaller tumor in an area such as Wernicke’s area (small area responsible for language comprehension) can result in a greater loss of function.
Headaches as a result of raised intracranial pressure can be an early symptom of brain cancer.
Other symptoms including visual abnormalities
Headaches that are worse in the morning or that subside after vomiting
Tumors in Frontal lobe of the brain may contribute to poor reasoning, inappropriate social behavior, personality changes, poor planning, lower inhibition, and decreased production of speech.
Tumors in Temporal lobe may contribute to poor memory, loss of hearing, and difficulty in language comprehension
Tumors in Parietal lobe may result in poor interpretation of languages, difficulty with speaking, writing, drawing, naming, and recognizing, and poor spatial and visual perception
Tumors in Occipital lobe may result in poor vision or loss of vision
Tumors in Cerebellum may cause poor balance, muscle movement, and posture
Tumors on the brainstem can cause seizures, endocrine problems, respiratory changes, visual changes, headaches and partial paralysis.
Behavioral changes or Personality changes can have damaging effects such as unemployment, unstable relationships, and a lack of control in case of a Brain Tumor.
World Brain Tumor Day is observed on June 8 to spread awareness and educate people about brain tumors. Various myths and misconceptions exist regarding brain tumors.
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