BRAIN CANCERBy Filipe & Nestor.

General Idea

Brain cancer is a tumour or tumours within the brain which consist of a group of strange and not normal cells.

This tumour can be either malignant or benign.

Malignant Tumour

Benign Tumour

General Idea They can also be primary or secondary,

These brain tumours can either be found within or around the brain.

Primary Tumour Secondary Tumour

-Came from cells in the brain.

-Remain in the brain or the spinal cord.

-Came from cells elsewhere in the body.

General Idea

The common tumour types within the brain include,

Astrocytoma,Grade 1: Pilocytic AstrocytomaGrade 2: Astrocytoma (Astroblastoma)Grade 3: Anaplastic AstrocytomaGrade 4: Glioblastoma Multiforme

General Idea One who has brain cancer will face

symptoms such as,Headaches-

Seizures-

Visual Changes-

General Idea

Personality Changes-

One-Sided Weakness-

Hearing Loss-

General Idea

Dizziness-

Nausea and Vomiting-

One Sided Paralysis-

Causes While it is not certain what causes this cancer,

there are many theories as to why it occurs. Age:As we get older, the risk of brain cancer tends to

increase but new diagnoses have shown that they are more common in young adults.

Medical Radiation:Frequent uses of radiotherapy, CT scans or X-rays to

the head influence the chances of gaining cancer

Radiotherapy

Aging

Causes Other cancers:Anyone who has other cancers in the past may

have an increase chance in the future to have brain cancer.

Genetics: People with rare syndromes such as

Neurofibromatosis type 1 and 2 or Tuberous sclerosis increase their risk of obtaining this type of cancer.

Lung Cancer

Gorlin Syndrome (Another syndrome that increases risk)

Causes Medical conditions and medicines:A person with HIV or Aids doubles the risk of

gaining brain cancer in their life. Also, women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) slightly increase the gaining of it as well.

The size of your body:Those overweight have a slightly increase

chance of having brain cancer than those thin and slim.

HIV

HRT

Overweight

Causes Mobile Phones:While there is still not enough evidence to

suffice a connection, they do emit radio waves that may be the reason what causes brain cancer.

Smoking and Alcohol:Though still unclear, studies have shown

increase risks of gaining it.

Smoking & Alcohol

Cell phones

Prevention

Unfortunately, as of now, there is still no way to prevent brain cancer.

However, there are some ways to assist in preventing it from becoming a serious threat in your life.

Prevention While still unconfirmed, there are theories

that other methods may prevent brain cancer.

Macrobiotic Diets:Consisting of grains supplemented with other

food like vegetables supposedly go far in the long run.

The Non-usage of Cellular Phones:Since phones emit radio waves and this may

be a cause of brain cancer, not using these types of phones may aid in a decrease chance of gaining brain cancer.

Cell Phones

Macrobiotic Diet

Prevention

Early Diagnoses:Enables us to have the ability to find signs of a

possible cancer occurring within or around the brain.

Treating of Tumours:Eliminating the tumours around or within the

brain aid very much in decreasing the chances of getting brain cancer.

CT Scan

Type of Treatment:

Surgery

Diagnosis There are many ways of diagnosing a patient

for any signs of a potential brain tumour occurring.

CT Scan:A CT Scanner is the most commonly used as to

acquire pictures of the brain. Any abnormalities with the brain will appear on the CT Scan.

MRI Scan:These machines give us further detailed scans

than the CT Scan but are only used depending on if any abnormalities were found.

CT Scanner

MRI Scanner

Diagnosis Neurological Exam:This exam includes a physician to check many

things of a person such as their vision, hearing, and memory. By doing so, this may give the doctor a clue as to if there is a brain tumour and where it might be found.

Angiogram:It is a type of X-ray upon which a contrast dye

is injected into the main arteries as to view the brains’ arteries and veins.

Neurological Exam

Angiogram of The Brain

Diagnosis Brain Scans:A contrast dye is injected into a vein of either

arm and generally, this dye will be soaked up more in a brain tumour, making the tumour easy to view.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI):This will measure the flow of water that is in

the white matter tracts of the brain, providing a scan of the structure of the brain as well as to compare changes over time.

Brain Scan

DTI

Diagnosis

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) scans:

A FMRI is used to discover and pinpoint where exactly a particular disorder may be in some part of the brain. Patients may also be instructed to do a specific task as to pinpoint the area.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scans:MRI Scans use magnetic fields and radio waves

to produce detailed pictures of the brain, showing visual slices to create a 3-D view of a tumour.

FMRI

MRI

Diagnosis Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scans:These scans will find any change in cells as

they grow. A radioactive glucose is injected where it is then absorbed more in a tumour of the brain than elsewhere which allows us to see the growth.

Biopsy:A surgical procedure upon which a small

sample of the tumour is removed for examination. Usually, it occurs during the surgery to remove the brain tumour (open biopsy).

PET Scan

Preparation For Biopsy

Diagnosis

Biopsy (continued):There are 2 other biopsies. They include,

Needle Biopsy Stereotactic Biopsy

-A small hole is made into the skull by a drill and then a needle is

inserted into the tumour.-The needle is then

removed, containing a sample of the tumour.

-A computer is used as well as a 3-D scanning

device.-With these machines, a tumour is then looked

for.

Diagnosis Blood & Urine Tests:A patient’s body will be tested as to determine

its levels of hormones. Abnormal levels of specific hormones indicate and help diagnose a syndrome.

Bone Scan:This type of scan aids doctors and surgeons in

viewing a skull base brain tumour. 

Blood & Urine Tests

Aiding

Treatment

When it comes to treatments for brain cancer, 3 standard treatments are utilized:

SurgeryRadiation TherapyChemotherapy

A wait-and-see approach (observations) may also be utilized as to monitor any changes occurring in the brain tumour/s.

Treatment plans are individualized along with what type as well as the grade of the tumour.

Treatment Surgery: Usually being the first treatment depending on

if the tumour is in an operable area. The purpose of it is to remove as much of the tumour or tumours as well as obtaining an accurate diagnosis by the pathologist.

Surgery

Treatment

Radio Therapy:Radio therapy is the involvement of high

levels of radiation targeting directly at a tumour of the brain. Normal radiation therapy lasts for at least 6 weeks. There are 2 types of radio therapy,Stereotactic

RadiosurgeryGamma Knife

-Given as one single treatment

-Treats meningiomas, pituitary tumours, acoustic neuromas, and secondary

tumours.

Radio Therapy

Treatment Chemotherapy:The utilization of medication to stagnant or

slow down the growth of tumour cells in brain cancer. It is either given to the patient orally or intravenously.

Temozolomide Or Temodal:For brain tumour (brain cancer) patients, this is

becoming quite the common chemo drug for them. Unfortunately, it very expensive unless covered by insurance. Often it is given along side with radio therapy for high-grade gliomas.

Temozolomide

Chemotherapy

Works Cited

Foundation, B. T. (n.d.). Brain tumour 101 [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada website: http://www.braintumour.ca/Userfiles/documents/info-sheets/Brain-Tumour-101.pdf 

Uk, C. R. (n.d.). Brain tumour risks and causes. Retrieved from Cancer ResearchUK website: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/brain-tumour/about/brain-tumour-risks-and-causes 

Works Cited Davis, C. P. (n.d.). Brain cancer (cont.) (M. C.

Stöppler, Ed.). Retrieved from MedicineNet website: http://www.medicinenet.com/brain_cancer/page9.htm 

University, J. H. (n.d.). How to diagnose brain tumors [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from Johns Hopkins Medicine website: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/specialty_areas/brain_tumor/diagnosis/how-to-diagnose-brain-tumors.html 

Works Cited

Medicine, J. H. (n.d.). Skull base tumor center. Retrieved from Johns Hopkins Medicine website: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/specialty_areas/brain_tumor/center/skull-base/

 Medicine, J. H. (n.d.). Diagnosis of a pituitary tumor. Retrieved from Johns Hopkins Medicine website: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/specialty_areas/pituitary_center/pituitary-tumor/diagnosis.html 

Fin.