Brain and spinal cord are made up of nervous tissue that receive and transmit messages to the body's nerves. The brain and spinal cord together form the central nervous system.
The brain is closed in the skull, but its tissue is continuous with the spinal cord, through an opening at the base of the skull. The spinal cord is located within the spinal column. The spinal cord is as thick as a little finger.
Brain and spinal cord tumors, like other tumors, are diseases of cells in the body. Cells are tiny structures that make up every part of the body: the brain and spinal cord, skin, heart, lungs, bones, and so on.
Although cells in various organs differ in shape and function, all cells reproduce by dividing. Normal growth and tissue repair take place in an orderly fashion. When cell division is not ordered, abnormal growth occurs. These cells go on dividing and grouping together forming a solid mass we call a Tumor.
Tumors can be benign or malignant: the benign ones grow in the shape of a ball, we call it growth expansive, while the evil ones in the beginning also form a kind of ball, but later it has a character infiltrative. Invasive Tumors destroy normal and adjacent tissue. Malignant, infiltrative tumor can also be called cancer.
Brain Cancer Symptoms
Brain Tumor symptoms are variable and depend on the part of the brain they involve. Any of these symptoms can have causes other than tumors.
Headaches are the most common symptoms, they may indicate increased pressure caused by tumor growth in normal brain tissue.
Any severe, new, or persistent headaches should be reported to the physician.
Other symptoms can cause: irritability, tiredness or unusual drowsiness. Sometimes when a tumor develops slowly, symptoms appear so gradually that they are rarely noticed. With the tumor growing rapidly the symptoms are more disturbing.
Depending on the location and size of the tumor, you can lose vision, speech, taste, smell or change in movement control. Seizures occur in 1/3 of patients with brain tumors.
Brain Cancer Treatment
Your doctor will consider a number of factors that will determine the best treatment for you.
Treatment for benign or malignant brain tumors is: surgical, radioactive or drugs called chemotherapy. These methods are always used in combination.
Surgery - is the oldest treatment method for brain tumors. Since 1930, modern technologies have been introduced.
Neurosurgeons remove the benign tumor or cancer involved in the membrane or cavity. If the cancer has not been removed completely, the doctor may be able to remove some of it, thereby relieving the pressure caused inside the skull.
Complete or partial surgery often improves the patient's condition, restores the patient's condition and the patient will have an active life.
During surgery, a sample of tissue is taken to be examined called a biopsy. It can be performed at the time the tumor is removed. The sample is studied under a microscope by a pathologist (a doctor who interprets and verifies the diagnosis of the changes caused in the tissue of the body). Biopsy is the only way to know if the tumor is malignant or benign.
Radiotherapy is used to kill cells from benign or malignant tumors that cannot be removed completely with surgery. The basic principle of radiotherapy is to focus rays on tumors with doses that completely destroy the tumor, without damaging the surrounding tissue. X-ray, cobalt or other ionizing sources are used to destroy the tumor.
Chemotherapy: (treatment with anti-cancer drugs) is the latest attempt to treat brain cancer. Anti-cancer drugs for brain cancer can be given by mouth, intravenously (within the vein) or injected into the spinal column or directly into the brain with a small tube deployed. The route of administration depends on the tumor and its location.
Anticancer drugs kill tumor cells due to the fact that these drugs also work in normal patients. The doctor must carefully plan the treatment so that he or she can save as many normal cells as possible. Some drugs can cause some transient discomfort, but treatment is designed so that the patient's daily activities are not interrupted for a long period of time. The duration and frequency of chemotherapy depends on a number of factors. These factors influence the type of cancer, the type of anticancer drug prescribed. The period of time is necessary for there to be a clinical response to the treatment and how the patient tolerates the side effects of the treatment.
Both chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be used in different periods associated or not with surgical treatment.
Spinal Cord Cancer
Spinal cord tumors are similar to those in the brain as they contain tissue similar to brain tissue. However, these tumors develop less frequently in the spinal cord than in the brain. Most of the tumors found in the spinal cord are due to cancer in other parts of the body that has metastasized to the spinal cord.
Pain is one of the main symptoms of metastasis within the vertebrae prior to spinal cord compression. The clinical picture in spinal cord compression becomes more exuberant with strong loss of sensitivity and difficulty to move arms and legs and at some point loss of sensation on one side and loss of mobility on the other side.
Both a careful clinical and radiological examination of the affected region is necessary for the diagnosis of a spinal tumor.
And spinal fluid examination may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Rapid treatment can prevent or improve symptoms caused by spinal tumors.
Radiotherapy and antitumor drugs can be used along with surgery.
Rehabilitation and other services
After the treatment, the patient should continue the medical segment on a regular basis, if rehabilitation is necessary his physician will recommend it.
Hospital staff as well as other organizations in the community are available to offer different types of help.
The Hospital's Department of Social Services may recommend local organizations that can provide assistance to cancer patients and their families.
Many service organizations include financial support, hospital transport, issue discussion groups, as well as other services. In addition, the cancer information service is a free phone system that provides information about cancer, cancer-related problems, guidance for family members and indication of health professionals.
We can mention the Association of Support for Children with Cancer in São Paulo that will be able to provide all the necessary support. (11) 5084-5434.
Emotional aspects
You may experience different emotional reactions when cancer is diagnosed. Because I? It's the question every patient asks. This is the 1st normal reaction to a cancer diagnosis. You may also have periods of anxiety and depression. You may experience these sensations before the diagnosis is accepted and you learn to live with it. Talking to your doctor, other healthcare professionals, your family and even other Cancer patients can provide emotional support during and after treatment. The doctor, knowing your clinical situation, is the best person to answer your questions.
Making a list of questions can help you remember all the questions that interest you. You must ensure that your doctor and other healthcare professionals will provide you with the best treatment that medicine can offer. You and your family can better handle the emotional stress of cancer by discussing your problems openly with your doctor, but you you may need help and should feel free to seek advice specific to your problems if you are too difficult.
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Diseases and Health - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SCHOOL, Team Brazil. "Brain and Spinal Cord Cancer"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/doencas/cancer-cerebro-medula-espinhal.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.