Posts Tagged ‘Stages’

How do Brain cancers grow over a period of time?

Cancer is a collection of many related diseases that are all characterized by one common feature. Some of these tumors do not spread beyond their point of origin. Others are capable of spreading large distances, often to other organs and tissues. This process is called “metastasis”, and tumors which can metastasize are called “cancers”.

What is Brain Tumor?
Brain tumors can either originate from within the brain (“primary brain tumors”). From cancer cells that have metastasized from other organs or tissues (“secondary brain tumors”). Primary brain tumors can be derived from the over twenty different cell types that make up the brain and its linings.

What are Primary Brain Tumor?
Primary tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or benign. These tumours start in the brain and do not spread. They rarely spread beyond the central nervous system. The tumor is still taking up space in the skull. They can cause serious complications and symptoms.

Primary Brain Tumor Types in Adults

- Gliomas
Tumors derived from astrocytes:
- Anaplastic astrocytoma (“grade III”)
- Glioblastoma multiforme
Tumors derived from oligodendrocytes:
- Oligodendrocytes
- Oligodendrogliomas
Tumors derived from ependymal cells:
- Ependymomas
- Anaplastic ependymomas
Meningiomas
- Consequences of intracranial hypertension.
- Dysfunction Irritation.

What are Secondary Brain Tumor?
- These tumours are often called metastatic tumors.
- They are the result of cancer cells originating from another part of the body.
- They are spread to the brain.
- Secondary brain tumors often indicate advanced stages of disease.
- Both cancerous primary and secondary tumors are life threatening.
- These types of tumors are usually very aggressive.
- Secondary tumors means a cancerous neoplasm that has developed in another organ elsewhere in the body
- These cancer cells have leaked from that primary tumor and then entered the lymphatic system and blood vessels.
- They then circulate through the bloodstream.
- They are then deposited in the brain.
- These cells continue growing and dividing.
- They become another invasive neoplasm of the primary cancer’s tissue.
- Secondary tumors of the brain are very common in the terminal phases of patients.

Other Types of Growth
1. Low-grade vs. high-grade:
- Low-grade tumors are slow-growing.
- High-grade tumors are fast-growing and aggressive.
- High-grade tumors can invade nearby tissue or spread elsewhere in the body.
- They are also more likely to recur after treatment.
- They are generally associated with a worse outlook.

2. Localized vs. Invasive:
- Localized tumor is confined to one area.
- It is generally easier to remove.
- It’s in an accessible part of the brain.
- An invasive tumor has spread to surrounding areas.
- It is more difficult or impossible to remove completely.

Signals and Causes
Signal Number 1:
- First headache complaint from person over 50 years old.
Possible Cause:
- Brain tumor, arteriïtis temporalis.

Signal Number 2:
- First migraine attack in person over 40 years old.
Possible Cause:
- Brain tumor.

Signal Number 3:
- Headache in person under 6 years old.
Possible Cause:
- Brain tumor, hydrocephalus.

Signal Number 4:
- Person over 50 years old with pain at temples.
Possible Cause:
- Arteriïtis temporalis

Signal Number 5:
- Pregnancy with unknown headache.
Possible Cause:
- Pre-eclampsia.

Signal Number 6:
- Increased headaches after trauma.
Possible Cause:
- Sub/Epidural hematoma.

Signal Number 7:
- Severe headaches and very high blood pressure.
Possible Cause:
- Malignant hypertension.

Signal Number 8:
- Acute severe headache.
Possible Cause:
- Meningitis, CVA (Cerebrovascular accident or stroke), subarachnoidal hemorrhage.

Signal Number 9:
- Headache and fever (with reduced consciousness).
Possible Cause:
- Meningitis.

Signal Number 10:
- Stiffness of the neck/neurological dysfunction.
Possible Cause:
- Meningitis, brain tumor.

Signal Number 11:
- Headache with signs of elevated intracranial pressure.
Possible Cause:
- Brain tumor.

Signal Number 12:
- Focal neurological dysfunction.
Possible Cause:
- Brain tumor.

Signal Number 13:
- Early morning vomiting or vomiting unrelated to headache or other illness.
Possible Cause:
- Brain tumor.

Signal Number 14:
- Behavioral changes or rapid decline in school results.
Possible Cause:
- Brain tumor.

| More

If you found this post informative, why not sign up to receive new posts ?
It's simple, and free, and you can even opt to receive by email:
Subscribe in a reader
Subscribe to Good Health Tips by Email

Diagnosis of Hepatitis B and C..The Do’s and Dont’s of Hepatitis B and C

Hepatitis B and C are difficult to get diagnosed and they are often referred as silent diseases. Initially, for the first six months there may be no symptoms. Acute viral hepatitis results in fatigue, fever, nausea and vomiting but these are common symptoms so additional tests are needed. Hepatitis C is diagnosed in chronic stages when it starts affecting liver. A typical cycle of disease from infection to liver damage may take very long.
Hepatitis B makes people sick especially children and symptoms may include tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, jaundice or joint pain. More serious complications may include cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Hepatitis B and C can prove to be more dangerous than HIV because of the absence of vaccine for hepatitis C, low level of awareness, difficulty in predictability of response to therapy. Improving the identification and public health management like screening of persons with hepatitis B and C infection can help prevent chronic liver disease.
Screening is recommended for people who are born in eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East and Pacific Islands, homosexual men, donors of blood and plasma, pregnant women, infants born to HBsAg positive mothers, persons on immune suppression therapy etc.

A person suffering from Hepatitis B or C should do:
- Check Hepatitis B or C status.
- Promote vaccinations.
- Be careful so that no one is accidentally exposed to blood.
- Discard materials used during injury.
- Wash hands.
- Avoid unprotected sex.
- Hepatitis status of spouse or sexual partner should be checked.
- Individuals who are at higher risk should be vaccinated.
- Monitor your liver functioning regularly.

A person suffering from Hepatitis B or C should not do:
- Don not share chewing gums, toothbrush, razor, needle or anything that comes in contact with blood.
- Do not share syringe.
- Do not donate blood, plasma, tissues, sperm.
- Do not panic and fear the worst.
- Do nor chew food before giving it to babies.
- Do not neglect follow up.
- do not try unproven therapies.

How is staging determined for thyroid cancer?

If the diagnosis is thyroid cancer, the doctor needs to know the stage, or extent, of the disease to plan the best treatment. Staging is a careful attempt to learn whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body.
Staging is based on the results of the physical exam, biopsy, and imaging tests, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, chest x-ray, and/or nuclear medicine scans.
The TNM method is the most universally used staging method and applies to both papillary and follicular thyroid cancers.
- T indicates the size of the main (primary) tumor and whether it has grown into nearby areas.
- N describes the extent of spread to nearby (regional) lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped collections of immune system cells that are important in fighting infections. Cells from thyroid cancers can travel to lymph nodes in the neck and chest areas.
- M indicates whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other organs of the body. If there is distant metastases, M = 1, if the cancer has not spread outside of the neck region, M = 0.

Based on these three categories, the cancer is assigned a Stage of 1, 2, 3 or 4. Stage 1 is the least advanced form of cancer with the best prognosis, and Stage 4 is the most advanced category.