Frequent Headaches can indicate Brain Tumour

Every year, 8^th June is observed as the World Brain Tumor day. The German Brain Tumor Association took the initiative of bringing awareness about brain tumor amongst the general masses.  A brain tumour is unlike tumours in the other parts of the body. Your brain is small and therefore tumour gets a limited space to grow. This results in the forced pressure against nerves and significant brain areas that are associated with certain important body functions like movement, smell, sight, speaking etc.

The chances of developing a malignant tumour of the brain or spinal cord in his or her lifetime are less than 1 percent but they can be found in all age groups. Both genetic and environmental carcinogens can trigger brain tumours (primary) or it can spread to the brain from cancer in other parts of the body (secondary). Certain viral infections and exposure to radiations can also cause it.

According to World Health organization there are more than 120 types of brain tumours. On the occasion of World Brain Tumour Day (Saturday) doctors advise people to take the symptoms seriously such as headache. Fits, blurred vision and nausea and get diagnosed through MRI CT scan get treated at the earliest.

A brain tumour is an abnormal mass of tissue in which some cells grow and multiply uncontrollably, apparently unregulated by the mechanisms that control normal cells. The growth of a tumour takes up space within the skull and interferes with normal brain activity.

“The incidence of brain tumours in India range from 5-10 per one lakh population, says Dr. TVRK Murthy Sr.Consutlant Neuro Surgeon CARE Hospitals Banjara Hills. Elaborating on primary and secondary brain tumours Dr. TVRK Murthy said Primary brain tumours originate in the brain itself and do not spread from the brain to other parts of the body except in rare cases. Metastatic or secondary brain tumours begin as cancer in another part of the body. Some of the cancer cells may be carried to the brain by the blood or may spread from adjacent tissue. The site where the cancerous cells originated is referred to as primary cancer. Metastatic brain tumours are the most common brain tumours. Since people are surviving primary cancers for longer periods of time, there has been an increase in metastatic lesions.

Brain tumours can be cancerous (malignant, fast-growing and can recur) and non-cancerous (usually benign and slow growing). They are seen more in men probably due to biological factors hormones, lifestyle and more exposure to environmental factors. Meningioma is more common in women than men and likewise, Hodgkin lymphoma and medulloblastomas occur more in men than women.

Book Appointment:  Dr. TVRK Murthy Sr.Consutlant Neuro Surgeon CARE Hospitals Banjara Hills.