1. Evaluating Brain Cancer
A staging system is a standardized way for the cancer care team to summarize information about the extent of your cancer. However, cancers of the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system [CNS]) differ from tumors in other parts of the body. Tumors starting in the brain or spinal cord can spread to other parts of the central nervous system, but they almost never spread to other organs. And therefore, brain cancer is not staged unlike other tumors.
2. Determining the Stage of Your Brain Cancer
In the absence of a formal system, the stages of brain cancer can be recognized by its cell type, grade and the patient's age. For example, astrocytoma, ependymoma, medulloblastoma, and oligodendrocytoma refer to brain cancers originating from a specific cell type. The grade can reveal how aggressive the tumor cells are, or how quickly they are growing and spreading.
3. Chances of Survival
As you grow older, your rates of survival drop. The extent of nerve damage and disability are important factors. Indeed, your chances of survival depend on the size and location of the tumor. Your specialist should find out if brain cancer has spread through the cerebrospinal fluid to other parts of the brain or spinal cord. It is very rare that brain cancer spreads beyond the nervous system. You should be relieved to know that nearly half of all brain tumors are benign, slow growing and respond well to treatment.
4. Brain Tumors in Children
Medullobastoma is a common, fast-growing childhood tumor involving lower brain and cerebrospinal fluid channels. Evaluating affected children is based on risk. Your child might be a high risk if he is younger than three, with a large tumor that surgery cannot tackle. He may also have cancer cells in the cerebrospinal fluid or ones spreading to other areas in the brain. Watch out for symptoms of headache, unexplained vomiting and walking difficulties.
5. Watch for Symptoms
It is absolutely crucial to have evaluate your symptoms early and promptly notify your doctor. Watch out for any abnormal breathing or heart rate, unexplained headaches, thought disorders, dizziness, vomiting and seizures. Your specialist will scan your brain and check if the symptoms may be due to a possible brain tumor.
