BRAIN CANCER

Impulses travel up the spinal cord from sense organs to the brain for processing and then back to a muscle for action.

INTRODUCTION

the uncontrolled growth of cells in the brain. The term brain cancer refers to any of a variety of tumors affecting different brain cell types. Depending on the location and cell type, brain cancers may progress rapidly or slowly over a period of many years. Brain cancers are often difficult to treat, and complete cure is often unattainable.

Causes and symptoms

The causes of different brain cancers remain largely unknown. Unlike many other cancers, brain tumors seem to occur at random in the population and are not usually associated with known risk factors. However, exposure to ionizing radiation, such as during head X rays, does increase a person's risk of developing certain brain cancers, as does a suppressed immune system or family history of cancer. Symptoms of brain cancer vary widely depending on the location of the tumor. As the tumor grows, it might put pressure on nearby regions of the brain and thereby affect the functions controlled by those regions. Difficulty or changes in speech, hearing, vision, or motor functions can all indicate the presence of a brain tumor. Many brain tumors are initially discovered following chronic headaches, and in some cases seizures are associated with cancers of the brain. Symptoms may also include vomiting, nausea, or numbness in any part of the body.

Diagnosis and prognosis

If a brain tumor is suspected, a neurological exam is conducted to test general brain function. Further diagnosis usually utilizes imaging procedures such as X rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The location and stage of a tumor can also be determined with positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The blood supply feeding a tumor can be assessed by using an X-ray procedure called angiography. A definitive diagnosis usually requires removal of brain tissue for analysis; often this is done during tumor-removal surgery. In other cases, a needle biopsy guided by the images generated by CT scans or MRI may be used to access the tumor.

Brain cancers are usually not diagnosed until symptoms have appeared, and survival rates vary widely, depending on type and location. Some are completely curable. Slow-growing cancers may progress for decades, whereas other types may be fatal within six to eight years. Average survival from some faster-growing tumors, however, averages no more than one year.

Treatment

Surgery is the most frequent approach to treating brain tumors. Such surgery may be curative for some cancers, but for others it may only relieve symptoms and prolong survival. In many cases, complete removal of the tumor is not possible.

Radiation therapy may be used to cure some brain cancers, but others do not respond to radiotherapy. Radiation generally works best with fast-growing types. Because radiation therapy typically involves X rays, which pose a risk to healthy brain tissue, it is important to minimize exposure to the normal cells surrounding the tumor. This is accomplished by employing special procedures that focus the radiation. For instance, a device called a gamma knife, which emits a highly controllable beam of radiation, may be used. Even when radiation is localized, however, radiotherapy can cause side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, or skin irritation. Radiation to the brain may cause scar tissue to form and potentially cause future problems. Memory loss may also occur.

Chemotherapy is used for some brain tumors, but, owing to the brain's protective barrier, many chemotherapeutic agents cannot enter the brain from the bloodstream. Chemotherapy works best on fast-growing tumors, but it is generally not curative and causes side effects similar to radiation therapy. Both radiation therapy and chemotherapy are often used when a person's general health or the location of the tumor prevents surgery.

Prevention

In rare cases where a family history or a personal history of frequent head X rays suggests an increased risk of brain cancer, regular screening by a neurologist may allow developing cancers to be detected earlier. Otherwise, no means of preventing brain tumors are known.

The diagram shows the area affected by brain tumor

What you really need to know about cancer:
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States (other than skin cancer). Each year, in the United States alone, approximately 220,000 women are told they have breast cancer. Upon hearing this unexpected and overwhelming news, a woman is faced with having to make treatment choices within a very short period of time. While curable if detected early, breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women ages 35 to 54.

Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Cancer occurs when, for unknown reasons, cells become abnormal and multiply without control or order. All parts of the body are made up of cells that normally divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. When cancer occurs, cells keep dividing even when new cells are not needed.

There are several types of breast cancer. The most common is ductal carcinoma, which begins in the lining of the milk ducts within the breast. Another type, lobular carcinoma, begins in the lobules where breast milk is produced. If a cancerous tumor invades nearby tissue, it is called invasive cancer.

Cancer cells may spread beyond the breast to other lymph nodes, or the bones, liver or lungs. When breast cancer spreads, it is called metastatic breast cancer even though it is found in another part of the body. For example, breast cancer that has spread to the liver is called metastatic breast cancer, not liver cancer.

Doctors can not always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. Medical researchers are, however, learning about what happens inside cells that may cause cancer. They have identified changes in certain genes within breast cells that can be linked to a higher risk for breast cancer. Genetic changes may be inherited from a parent or may accumulate throughout a person's lifetime. Breast cancer usually begins with a single cell that transforms from normal to malignant over a period of time. Presently, however, no one can predict exactly when cancer will occur or how it will progress.

Every woman has some chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime. As women get older, those chances increase. Overall, a woman's chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer is 1 out of 8. Even though breast cancer is more common in older women, it also occurs in younger women and even in a small number of men (1,300 cases per year in the U.S.).

While there is yet no preventive to stop breast cancer, early detection is vital to surviving the disease. There are three things women can, and should do. Get an annual mammogram (special X-ray screening) after the age of 50; regular (yearly) breast examination by a doctor; and breast self-examination (BSE) at least once a month.

If breast cancer is detected, it is important to remember there is no single treatment that is "right" for all women. As with most medical conditions, there is no "one-size-fits-all" treatment or cure. And all breast cancers are not alike. Breast cancer is a complex disease. Once breast cancer has been found, more tests will be done to find the specific pattern of your particular cancer. This is an important step called staging.

Knowing the exact stage of your disease will help your doctor plan your course of treatment. Your doctor will want to know: the size of the tumor; if the cancer has spread within your breast; if cancer is present in your underarm lymph nodes; if cancer is present in other parts of your body.

There are many options available and you can always ask more than one doctor about your diagnosis and treatment plan. Your best start is to gain as much knowledge about the disease and the treatments as possible. Find answers to your questions and gain assistance in your fight against a terrifying enemy. Remember, there are no "dumb" questions when you are faced with cancer.

Most women who are treated for early breast cancer go on to live healthy, active, productive lives. The best chance of survival is early detection, so plan for mammograms, have yearly visits with your doctor, and use self-examination frequently. Best wishes for years of good health!