World Brain Tumor Day

World Brain Tumor Day is observed every year on June 8. This day was first started by the German Brain Tumor Association (Deutsche Hirntumorhilfe e.V.) in 2000. The aim is to raise public awareness, educate people about the brain tumor and also to show support to brain tumor patients. German Brain Tumor Association explores various possibilities in drawing the attention of politicians and people in business, scientific and medical institutions to understand the importance of research funding, which can help develop effective treatment methods for this type of cancer.

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What is Brain Tumor?

A brain tumor is a cancerous or non-cancerous mass or growth of abnormal cells in the brain. The tumor can originate in the brain, known as a primary brain tumor or can even begin in other parts of the body and then spread to the brain, known as secondary brain tumor.

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Facts About Brain Tumor

• The most common brain tumors are cancers from other parts of the body (e.g. Lung, breast, colon or prostate), which then spread to the brain.
• There are over 126 such tumors
• Glioma is the common brain tumor
• Around 700,000 people in the US are living with a primary brain tumor
• The survival from brain tumor at five years is approximately 30%. (The survival rate is the percentage of people who live at least 5 years after being diagnosed)

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Who are affected with Brain Tumor?

Brain tumors affect people of any age, even children. However, they are found to be more common in older adults. In the UK, more than 9,000 people are diagnosed with primary brain tumors every year.

What are the Types and Grades of Brain Tumor?

There are two main types of brain tumors:

• Cancerous brain tumors (low grade)
• Non-cancerous brain tumors (high grade)

Brain tumors are usually graded based on how fast they grow and how likely they are to regrow after treatment. The grades are as follows:

• Grade I tumors grow slowly and are unlikely to spread. They are often cured with surgery
• Grade II tumors are less likely to grow, but are more likely to recur after the treatment
• Grade III tumors are more likely to divide cells rapidly and can grow quickly
• Grade IV tumor cells divide actively and these tumors grow and spread quickly

How to Check if you have Brain Tumor?

People with a brain tumor can experience various symptoms due to the tumor pressing a nerve or damaging a certain area in the brain. The symptoms can also be seen when the brain swells or there is fluid within the skull. The most common symptoms of brain tumor include:

• Headache
• Weakness
• Vision problems
• Nausea or vomiting
• Balancing problems
• Seizures and convulsions
• Changes in behavior or personality

What Causes Brain Tumor?

The exact cause of brain tumor is still unknown. However, there are certain risk factors that increase an individual's risk of developing a brain tumor - age, sex, family history of brain tumors, exposure to radiation and HIV or AIDS.

Can Brain Tumor be Treated?

Surgery is the first treatment method that helps in removing the tumor. Treatment can depend on the type, size and location of the tumor in the brain, and also can depend upon the overall health of the individual. Later, it can be treated with steroids, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Brain tumors can be deadly. It can impact the quality of life of the individual and turn their life upside down. It is estimated that there can be over 79,000 more brain tumor cases in 2018. Therefore, it is necessary to create awareness about brain tumor among the general public.

References:

1. Quick Brain Tumor Facts - (http://braintumor.org/brain-tumor-information/brain-tumor-facts/)
2. What is a brain tumour? - (https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/understanding-brain-tumours/symptoms-and-information/what-is-a-brain-tumour/)
3. Brain tumours- Grades and types of brain tumour - (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/brain-tumours/#whos-affected)

Source-Medindia