Brain Cancer
By : Hayley Bostian
What is Brain Cancer?
Symptoms
- difficulty walking, muscle weakness, problems with coordination, arms and legs weakness
- balance disorder, dizziness, fatigue, or vertigo
- nausea or vomiting
- pins and needles or reduced sensation of touch
- inability to speak or understand, mental confusion
- impaired voice, difficulty speaking
- blurred vision, personality change, seizures, or sleepiness
- in some cases there are no symptoms
Causes
Primary brain tumors begin when normal cells acquire errors (mutations) in their DNA
radiation to the head
HIV infection
environmental toxins
Prevention
Treatment
Chemotherapy
Radiation Therapy
Tomotherapy
Diagnosing Brain Cancer
CT scan
PET scan
Cerebral Ateriogram
Lumbar Puncture or Spinal Tap
Myelogram
Statistics
-13,350 men and 10,420 women
-more than 4,000 children and teens will be diagnosed with a brain or central nervous system tumor this year
- There is an increased risk to develop brain cancer with increased age
- Those with a compromised immune system have an increased risk of developing it also
- Exposure to radiation especially at a young age can also increase the risk