Brain Cancer Information
- Thousands of people are diagnosed with brain cancer each year.
More than 359,000 people in America were living with a primary brain tumor during 2008. During that same year, about 52,200 new brain tumor cases were diagnosed in the United States. Approximately one out of three people survive brain cancer for at least five years. - Older individuals have an increased risk for brain cancer.
Risk factors for brain cancer include race, family history, exposure to chemicals, and older age, according to the Mayo Clinic. White people are diagnosed with brain cancer more often than other races are. The majority of people who get brain cancer are at least 45 years of age. When radiation causes brain cancer, brain tumors usually develop 10 to 15 years after the radiation exposure.
Brain cancer can also be caused by exposure to electromagnetic fields and to chemicals including aspartame, petroleum products and vinyl chloride. However, scientists are still debating how much of an effect exposure to these chemicals has on the development of brain cancer. - Confusion and memory loss can be a sign of brain cancer.
One symptom associated with brain cancer is headaches. Headaches that are caused by brain tumors are usually more painful in the morning and get progressively less painful through the day. Other symptoms can include seizures, nausea and vomiting, problems with balance, and changes in personality and memory. Brain cancer can be difficult to diagnose. About one in three people don't know they have a brain tumor until they are hospitalized because of a seizure. - MRIs can be used to detect brain cancer.
If you have symptoms that concern you, you should speak to your doctor about running medical tests for brain cancer. Tests include biopsies (analyzing a sample of brain tissue), eye tests, neurological exams, MRIs, hearing tests, and coordination and reflex tests. - Radiation therapy is one way to treat brain cancer.
There are several treatment options for people with brain cancer. According to the A.P. John Institute for Cancer Research, options include radiation treatment, chemotherapy and surgery. There are both internal and external forms of radiation therapy. External radiation treatment requires individuals to take drugs through a vein or through their mouth. However, when drugs are injected directly into a person's spine, it's classified as internal radiation therapy. Radiation therapy can have horrible side effects, but it is sometimes the only viable treatment option for cancer patients.
