1. Mind Your Brain
For a successful recovery, it is essential to know the origin of cancer in the brain. As some brain cells go haywire, they transform into a tumor feeding on the blood and nutrients around them. As they run out of control, they wreak havoc on the body by encroaching on other parts of the brain, causing all the tell-tale signs and symptoms of cancer. Watch out for brain swelling-related headache, weakness, clumsiness, seizures, difficulties with walking, speech, vision and changes in mood, memory, concentration and other weakened or impaired faculties.
2. Who is in Trouble, Really?
It depends on what you have. Primary brain cancer, originating and confined to the brain, is more frequent in children and older adults, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. But if you're talking of secondary or metastatic cases, that is, originating elsewhere but ending up in the brain, adults are more frequently affected.
3. What Are Your Odds of Survival?
Studies over a 5-year period showed the odds of survival were fewer than 10 percent for those afflicted with primary brain cancer. In fact, brain tumors in children were the most common cause of death due to solid tumors. And this is so in spite of all the aggressive surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
4. Can You Better Your Odds of Survival?
It is possible that modern medicine and surgery can and do prolong survival in the short term. More importantly, they improve your quality of life while you are still alive. However, if you have other conditions alongside a brain tumor such as seizures, the response is not so good. Even so, your chances are better off with treatment than without. In fact, if your tumor is only benign, surgery can lead to a complete cure. Technical advances such as "knifeless" or stereotactic surgery can destroy brain tumors without a surgeon having to break open the skull. And new ways are being developed to decrease complications. Indeed, a brain tumor vaccine was developed to stimulate a patient's immune system to specifically attack the tumor cells. In a clinical trial funded by the American Brain Tumor Association and the National Cancer Institute's Specialized Program of Research Excellence, scientists at the 75th annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons demonstrated how a vaccine called vitespen effectively targeted recurrent, high-grade glioma--a primary brain cancer--without affecting the surrounding healthy cells; it increased overall survival.
5. Prevention is Always Better, But is it Possible?
There has been no proven way to prevent brain cancer. However, you may want to avoid unnecessary radiation to the head or an HIV infection to avoid the risk of primary brain cancer. Early detection of the tumor or its spread from other parts of the body always helps. Genetic factors, various environmental toxins, radiation and cigarette smoking are other reasons.
