Brain Cancer Research

Not all brain tumours are cancerous. If they continue to grow and spread rapidly, then they will develop into cancer cells/ a malignant neoplasm leading to brain cancer. Also, the cancer cells spread from other body tissue to the brain, and this is called metastases or secondary brain cancer. The cancer cells spread and grow aggressively, spreading to other healthy tissues and overriding them by consuming their nutrients, space and blood. The tumour cells need blood and nutrients for survival. Some common primary brain tumours include gliomas, pituitary adenomas, medulloblastomas, and meningiomas. Gliomas include various subtypes like ependymomas, astrocytomas, choroid plexus papillomas and oligodendrogliomas (Davis, 2017). These tumours get their names from the part of the brain they arise. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) grades the cysts as follows; Grade I: there is slow growth with the brain cells looking like usual cells.

This tissue is benign. However, the following factors are cause factors for the primary brain tumour, but their chances of increasing a person’s risk to a brain tumour are unknown (Davis, 2017). These factors include; HIV infection, smoking cigarette, genetic risk, toxins from the environment and head radiation. Some brain tumours do not show symptoms and others the signs are seen after death. The brain tumour symptoms are many and not definite denoting they are due to other diseases. Carrying out a diagnostic test will help confirm if the symptoms are brain tumours (Laura, 2017). This team comprises of neurosurgeons, radiation oncologist, medical oncologists, neurologists and a primary care provider (Laura, 2017). It may also include a social worker, dietitian, physical therapist among other specialists.

Additional tests may be done if the physical examination or medical history shows that a person may have a brain problem then there is a need for further analysis. A physician does a CT scan for emergent patients. An MRI scan is the normal way of testing the extent and nature of a tumour (Davis, 2017). Surgery, on the other hand, has both positive and negative effects like damaged tissue, muscle weakness and brain swelling. Health- caregiver and physician must discuss the information on home care with both members of the family and the patient (Cancer. Net, 2017). The home care involves compassionate measures required depending on the symptoms of the patient. If home care is weak, then the patient should consider hospice care.