2b Healthy

The brain is soft and spongy tissue.
It is protected by the bones of the skull
and three thin crusts called meninges.

Risk Factors

No one knows the exact cause of brain cancer. However, it is clear that cancer is not contagious.
Studies indicate that risk factors will raise the chances that a person will develop  brain cancer:

• Sex – Brain cancer is more common in men than women.
  However, Meningioma is more common in women.
• Race – brain cancer appears more among white men.
• Age – Most brain cancer are diagnosed in people over age 70.
• However, brain tumors are second most in distribution
  with children, (after leukemia) under the age of 8.
• Family history – people who has relatives with Glioma more likely to develop this disease.Exposure to radiation or certain chemicals at work:

• Radiation – nuclear reactor workers, are more likely to develop brain cancer.
• Formaldehyde – people working with this chemical (as pathologists)
  are more likely to develop brain cancer.
• Vinyl chloride – people who work in plastic industry may be exposed
  to this chemical and may develop brain cancer.
• Acrylonitrile – This textile and plastic industry common chemical, is a risk factor for brain tumor.
• Scientists investigating whether mobile phone usage increases the risk of brain cancer.

How To Stop Cancer

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Cancer, Step Outside the Box

Symptoms

Brain cancer symptoms depend on the size, type and location of the tumor.
Symptoms may appear when the tumor puts pressure on a nerve or destroys tissue in a brain.
They can also occur as a result of swollen head or accumulation of fluid in the brain.

These are common brain cancer symptoms:

• Headaches (usually they are stronger at morning).
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Changes in speech, eyesight or hearing.
• Problems with walking or balance.
• Changes in mood, personality or concentration.
• Memory problems.
• Muscle contraction and vibration.
• Feeling or tingling limbs.

These symptoms are not a sure sign for a brain cancer,
other conditions also can cause these symptoms appear.
Only a doctor can diagnose cancer and you must contact him if these symptoms appear.

Types of brain cancer

Brain tumors can be benign or malignant:

Benign tumors:

• This can usually be removed and do not return.
• You can easily see the edges of the bengin tumor. Tumor cells do not spread or penetrate other tissues.
  However, the tumor may press on sensitive areas of the brain and constitute a serious health problem.
• Unlike benign tumors in other organs of the body, bengin brain tumor could endanger the patient’s life.
• Rarely, benign tumor becomes malignant tumor.

Malignant tumors:

• Are usually more severe and life-threatening.
• Malignat tumors will grow quickly and invade other tissues in the brain.
• Rarely, malignant tumor becomes metastasis cancer,
  and send secondery growth to the spinal cord, brain or other organs in the body.
• Sometimes the tumor will remain only in the bones of the skull and not spread to other tissues.
  This type of tumor called an atom tumor.

Diagnosise

Following tests shall be made to a person with the symptoms described in up to diagnose brain cancer:

• Physical examination – The doctor checks general signs of health.
• Neurological examination – the doctor checks sharp movement, muscle strength, coordination, reflexes and response to pain.
• The doctor also search for eye swelling, caused by an increase of pressure on the optic nerve.
• CT – The patient receives an injection of contrast material and then photographing the head. Tumors can be seen in resulting picture.
• MRI – A powerful magnet connected to the computer generates a detailed picture of the head.
• Sometimes you need a special color Injection to increase the sharpness of the image.
  Tumors and other health problems, can be seen in picture.
• CT of the blood vessels. This test can also detect tumors.
• X-ray of the skull – some tumors alter the balance of calcium in the skull. The doctor examines it with X-ray.
• Acupuncture of the spine – with acupuncture doctor collects a sample of liquid from the spine.
• This procedure is performed under local anesthesia.
  The doctor uses a long thin needle for acupuncture.  This procedure takes about 30 minutes.
• CT of the spine, when injecting to the spine, contrast material to the spine liquid.
• Biopsy – removal of tissue by surgery for pathological examination for cancer cells.
  This is the only right safe way to diagnose cancer.

There are 3 ways to collect tissue by surgerys:

• Needle biopsy – The surgeon performs a small incision at the top of the skull and drill a hole in the skull.
• Stereotactic biopsy – using imaging device (such as CT or MRI) for directing the needle after making a hole in the skull.
• Biopsy during treatment – the surgeon takes a tissue sample from the patient while surgeon remove the tumor.

Treatment

There are several methods for brain cancer treatment depend on the type of cancer in his stage.
Patient can undergo surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.
Some patients receive a combination of several types of treatment.
In addition, patients will receive treatment for symptoms and side effects of treatment.
This is complementary therapy which not directed against cancer.

Surgery

This is the usual treatment of most brain cancers.
Surgery is performed under general anesthesia which during surgeon opens the skull.
Before the operation it is necessary to shave the hair head.
The surgeon performs a cut in the head, drill inside, and then cut out a piece of bone to open the skull.
Then, the surgeon removes the tumor or most of it and then put the bone back
(or close the skull using a metal), sewing the incision.
Sometimes you can not perform the surgery.
If the tumor is located in places that can not be reached without harming healthy tissue,
then the patient will receive other treatments.

Radiation

This method using a powerful beam to kill cancer cells.
This treatment usually comes after surgery to kill cancer cells that may still be in the head.
Sometimes this treatment replaces surgery. The treatment is performed in a hospital or clinic.
Radiation frequency depends on the type of cancer, patient’s age and size.
Each treatment takes few minutes.

Chemotherapy

Using drugs to kill infected cells. Drugs are given orally or intravenously.
In any case, they enter the blood stream, moving throughout the body.
Chemotherapy usually does not require hospitalization and can be a clinic or day treatment.
Children receive this treatment more than adults.
When brain cancer returned after treatment, the surgeon removes the tumor and plants small implants
that regularly chemotherapy liberators, until they dissolve after several weeks.

Complementary therapy

At any stage of the disease, patients can receive a complementary treatment to improve significantly the quality of life.
Patients can receive treatment for pain or against the symptoms of cancer, Treatment for side effects from treatment
and mental help to overcome illness.

These complementary treatments common for brain cancer:

• Steroids – can reduce brain swelling.
• Drugs against seizures (Anticonvulsant) – drugs to prevent seizures and stroke.
• Fluid drainage – with surgery, drain fluid’s accumulated in the brain.