Cancer du cerveau

There are a lot of possible brain tumors symptoms, and most of them can also be found in people who do not have this ailment. Thus, some people tend to dismiss the signs they experience without knowing that they can lead to a cancer diagnosis. Knowing the common symptoms of brain cancer can help by alerting patients who experience these so that they would undergo a brain scan to determine whether a cancer is present.

Brain Tumors Symptoms

Headaches. The most common symptom is a persistent headache. Over 46% of patients with brain cancer experience headaches, although they usually experience them differently and with no defined pattern. Headache that may be due to a tumor is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and can get worse when you bend over.

Seizures. Seizures are the second most common among all brain tumors symptoms, with 33% of patients reporting a seizure prior to a diagnosis. Seizures are also linked to other diseases such as stroke or epilepsy. If a person is diagnosed with epilepsy or hypertension, seizures should still be brought to the attention of a doctor. However, if it is a person's first time to have a seizure, it is usually indicative of a new illness that he might not be aware of. One of the possible illnesses this may point to is a brain cancer. Thus, a person should get a brain scan immediately after the incident.

Vision or Hearing Problems. A person with a brain cancer will also most likely experience some problems or abnormalities in vision or hearing. Around 25% of patients experience vision problems. These problems occur when a tumor is causing an increased intracranial pressure on the areas of the brain that control hearing and vision.

Behavioral and Cognitive Abnormalities. Some changes in behavior and cognitive ability have been reported among patients with brain tumors. These include problems in short-term memory, inability to concentrate, inability to find the right words to use, and abnormal behavior such as uncharacteristic lack of patience or loss of inhibitions.

Strange Sensations. Since the brain controls much of the body, a tumor can also cause some problems with any body part. Usually, these manifest in strange sensations or a weakening feeling in the legs, arms, facial muscles, head, or hands. These symptoms have been reported in 25% of patients. However, these are also signs of a stroke. When these suddenly occur, the patient must be brought to the doctor. If a stroke is ruled out, then the patient will be advised to get a brain scan to check for tumors.

Brain tumors symptoms and diagnosis can be tricky. When doctors are faced with these, they usually consider the more common causes first before they consider brain cancer. However, some doctors tend to take too long testing different diagnoses, and this may lead to a delay in treatment. Thus, trust only a cancer specialist experienced in dealing with the symptoms.

For a cancer hospital in China that specializes in diagnosing brain tumors symptoms and other types of cancerous tumors, visit Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou.

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The first step in diagnosis for how to know if you have brain cancer is to evaluate the individual's symptoms. If the symptoms show an indication of brain cancer, the tests done to confirm diagnosis include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, computed axial tomography (CAT or CT) scan, and positron emission tomography (PET) scan.

CAT scans are specialized x-ray tests combined with a computer that takes pictures of the inside of the brain and brain stem, allowing the doctor to look for tumors. The CAT scan differs from standard x-rays in that it utilizes a computer to accomplish a cross-sectional view that allows for a much more accurate look at the soft tissues of body parts like that of the brain. A dye is often injected into the body to improve the contrast between abnormal and healthy tissue. CAT scanners have been in use since the mid 1970s.

MRI scans use magnetic and radio waves to take pictures of the inside of the body. Like the CAT scan, it provides images of the soft tissues of the body allowing the doctor to look for abnormalities. As a tool it will take pictures from any angle which is promoted as an advantage over CAT scans by institutions that use the MRI as the primary method of diagnosis. MRI is a technique that has been in use since the 1980s.

PET scans are not nearly as commonly used by institutions for determining how to know if you have brain cancer. The technique has been in limited use since the 1950s. It requires the injection of a short-lived radioactive isotope into the body, which allows for imaging of the body tissues. It is often combined with CAT scanning for a broad picture.

Skull x-rays were widely used at one time but have generally been replaced by the above scan procedures. Different institutions will use one or another of the scans as the first diagnostic test.
Any tumor located would be followed by a biopsy of the tissue to arrive at an exact diagnosis. A biopsy is a surgical procedure whereby a small portion of the abnormal tissue is removed and sent to a lab where a doctor can then study is under a microscope. The type and characteristics of the cells can then be determined as to whether it is malignant, degree of invasiveness and growth rate.

I am a father of five and a grandfather of one. I am at an age where health issues have become relevant as cancer, alzheimers, and a host of others have started affecting family and lifelong friends.

I am educated in journalism and computers and I have extensive background as an executive in the computer and telecomm industries. I have spent a career researching and data gathering for business purposes. I now apply those same skills in a search for effective solutions to health issues affecting my loved ones.

I am sharing my discoveries.

An important link for those interested in treatment choices and cures is:

[http://howtoknowifyouhavebraincancer.blogspot.com/]

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When looking into how to know if you have brain cancer, if one receives the bad news that cancer exists, that person's life has instantly and severely changed for the worse. The questions flow in a non-stop stream; what now, who should I tell, how will I survive, can I beat this, what will happen to those who depend on me, can I continue to work, and many more.
The first thing to establish is what are the choices for communication about the issue. Where can one find answers to the incessant questions? The medical practitioner who gave the diagnosis is the first point of contact for answers. The doctor will have the most business-like and analytical point of view. He/she is formally educated in the area and no doubt has heard all of the most common questions and concerns from many different patients. The doctor will have considerable experience with the patient's emotions about the news and should be able to provide much information and hopefully a much needed compassion to the effects caused by the diagnosis.
It is repeatedly reported that apprising family of the situation has much more benefit than not. There can be a thought to not want to burden others. If the person with the diagnosis doesn't want cancer to be constantly a topic of conversation and doesn't want constant sympathy, it is still better to discussed the situation with loved ones than to leave them uninformed. You would want to know if the roles were reversed.
The individuals emotions seem to run the gamut from anger, to resentment, to disbelief, to grief, to denial, to apathy. These are ways different people react to the news but can also be a series of emotions all within the same person.
The attitude of the individual with the diagnosis seems to an overriding factor in one's chances for recovery and one's quality and length of life. Some people are helped profoundly by talking to others who have cancer. The American Cancer Society keeps lists of such groups for every local area.

I am a father of five and a grandfather of one. I am at an age where health issues have become relevant as cancer, Alzheimer, and a host of others have started affecting family and lifelong friends.

I am educated in journalism and computers and I have extensive background as an executive in the computer and telecomm industries. I have spent a career researching and data gathering for business purposes. I now apply those same skills in a search for effective solutions to health issues affecting my loved ones.

I am sharing my discoveries.

An important link for those interested in treatment choices and cures is:

[http://howtoknowifyouhavebraincancer.blogspot.com/]

View the original article here

"Back to normal" means "back to school" for most children who have been treated for a brain or spinal tumor. When your child returns to school, you want him or her to be treated as normally as possible and it will take the cooperation of both the school and the health care professionals working with your child to make this happen.. To make the transition back to school an easy one the teachers and school nurse should be encouraged to prepare classmates by providing them with information about the disease and treatment and answering any questions they may have. Let the teachers and classmates know what to expect and give them an opportunity to express their concerns and feelings. It is important for teachers to communicate to other students that cancer cannot be caught and that radiation treatments do not make a child who has them "radioactive." These types of open conversations may eliminate children's curiosity and make it easier for them to accept your child back into the class and help them to accept the differences in their classmates and make them more empathetic and willing to help. Some medical centers provide an education team consisting of a child life worker and health care practitioner who can help prepare the class for your child's return, which in some cases may be helpful.

In order to make the re-entry into the scholastic environment less abrupt for your child, the students and the teachers, a slow, transitional approach to reentering school can be helpful, perhaps only having lunch, attending specific classes, or going on a field trip with the class prior to a full-time return to school. It is important to update your child's teachers and the school nurse with whatever medical information will help them help your child in school. The more knowledgeable and familiar the teachers are with how your child functions, the more the classroom environment can be adapted to your child's special needs, no matter what level of school they may be returning.

Before your child returns to school, set up a meeting with the teacher, school nurse, and principal. This meeting will give you an opportunity to discuss any special requests or concerns you might have. Suggest that the meeting also include health care professionals such as neuropsychologists familiar with brain tumor treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and shunts and give your child's teacher a copy of Cancervive Teacher's Guide for Kids with Cancer. You might want to meet or speak with the teacher on a weekly basis to monitor your child's progress; it might also be helpful to connect with your other children's teachers as well. Remember to keep an open line of communication with your child's school. The role the teacher plays is very significant to your child's developmental adjustment and recovery. The teacher and/or school nurse must inform you of any communicable diseases, such as chickenpox, that any class member has contracted. If your child is still in treatment and has not had chickenpox, exposure to this virus can be dangerous, and you should contact your physician immediately. (Chickenpox is worrisome primarily after chemotherapy; doctors rarely worry after radiation therapy.) If informed, teachers can deal successfully with problems concerning your child's self-image and relationships with peers as they arise.

Holding a meeting prior to your child's return to school can be helpful in determining any accommodations that may be needed to meet your child's special needs. Check to see if your school has wheelchair accessibility for both the classrooms and toilet facilities, as special bathroom privileges may be needed. Your child may need playground or gym exemptions, if he or she is easily fatigued or has coordination problems. Seating arrangements in the classroom may need to be adapted if your child has suffered permanent or temporary hearing or visual impairment. You may want to discuss modifying homework assignments with the classroom teacher. If your child needs to take medications during the day, it is very important that you inform the teacher and the school's principal and nurse what the medications are for and what their side effects may be. All of these procedures, if reviewed beforehand, will make a child's return to school much smoother.

The level of parental involvement wanted by a child varies by age, gender, and individual personality. It is important to discuss returning to school with children no matter what age to be sure everyone is on the same page and children are allowed to have a voice in the involvement of their parents in their school. For older children, such as those entering high school, autonomy and a sense of independence is viewed as a necessity for many and for this reason the teacher-parent relationship is very important, because although parents may not be wanted by children in their scholastic environment, teachers have a unique view and can not only watch out for a child but do so in a way that is not considered intrusive. In this way, parents can stayed updated on their child's progress without infringing on their child's world that they are more assuredly desperate to reenter.

Joseph Fay, Executive Director of Children's Brain Tumor Foundation

Joseph Fay, Executive Director of Children's Brain Tumor Foundation, http://www.cbtf.org/

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