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Since many brain tumor symptoms may seem innocuous, like headaches, patients and doctors fail to recognize them as potentially serious or evidence of a life-threatening growth until it's too late. As a result, a diagnosis isn't achieved until the tumor develops to a size or serious level that makes life-saving treatment unachievable.
If detected early, many brain tumors can be treated and possibly cured. New treatments, such as immunotherapy, chemotherapy, gene treatment therapy and radioactive treatments, are being used more often as they develop and become increasingly effective.
Consequently, physicians and patients are being advised to be cognizant of brain tumor symptoms and to do a thorough examination if potential symptoms surface. If a brain tumor is detected early enough, it can be cured. And though brain scans are costly - they are relatively painless and could save your life. To learn about symptoms connected to brain tumors and why you need to be aware, please read on.
Signs for Concern
If a brain tumor is still small and fairly young, it can often be treated. However, most symptoms depend on the size of the tumor and where it's found in the brain. For example, a benign tumor may take years to grow and even longer to cause an identifiable sign.
Among the basic harbingers are relentless or continual headaches, especially those that occur at night or are there immediately when an individual wakes up. Typically in young children, headaches happen simultaneously with vomiting or nausea.
Additional common symptoms include personality changes; vision or speech problems; behavioral issues; tiredness, numbness or paralysis or trouble walking or balancing; seizures that are similar to epileptic seizures, and sensory problems, like hearing or smelling something that's not there.
Far too frequently, symptoms like behavior or personality problems are attributed to a mental disturbance and aren't dealt with until the tumor has progressed in severity.
The Importance of Detecting Tumor Signs
Brain tumors are on the rise, being the second most common type of cancer in young children and occurring as often as ovarian cancer in adult women. Roughly half of primary brain tumors are diagnosed as benign. This means they grow and spread slowly and can typically be cured or removed. The other half are diagnosed as malignant - they are fast-growing and intrusive. Many of these can be treated, but are not always curable.
Where to Get Additional Facts
If you would like more information on brain tumor symptoms, try contacting the American Brain Tumor Association. Their website can be found online at abta.org. Click through to research more information on brain tumors, diagnosing tumors, developing treatments and where patients can go for support.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
