06 February 2023 , 12:23
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Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, with over 5,300 people in the UK losing their life to the disease every year.
According to the NHS, brain tumours occur when a growth of cells in the brain multiplies in an abnormal and uncontrollable way.
Tumours that start in the brain are called primary brain tumours, which differ to cancers that have spread to the brain from elsewhere in the body - also known as secondary brain tumours.
They are graded from one to four, according to how they look under the microscope, how fast they are likely to grow, and how likely they are to spread.
Tumours graded three and four are likely to be more aggressive, whereas one and two mean they grow slowly and are less likely to return after treatment.
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The most widely reported symptom in the early stages of brain cancer is a persistent headache, which often appears in conjunction with other signs.
In fact, headaches typically affect more than half of brain tumour patients and worsen significantly over time.
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Headaches typically affect more than half of brain tumour patients (Getty Images)As many as half of patients also experience seizures at some stage of their disease, but these have many other known causes too.
In most cases, these problems arise from growing pressure inside the skull due to a growing tumour.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) explained: “The most common symptoms experienced by the patient are often related to tumour location and/or cerebral oedema, which can cause increased intracranial pressure."
These symptoms include:
Drowsiness
Headaches
Cognitive and personality changes
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Poor communication
Seizures
Delirium
Focal neurological symptoms
Dysphagia.
The institution adds: “Some patients may have several of these symptoms, while others may have none. Some of the factors that influence the presence and severity of symptoms are the tumour’s location and size.”
The degree of swelling and progression of the tumour are critical determinants in the presentation of brain tumours, but some warning signs are more frequent as the disease advances.
“Brain tumour patients tend to develop significant and progressive neurological symptom burden in the final weeks of life,” explains UCSF.
“Drowsiness or loss of consciousness is one of the most frequently reported symptoms in the final weeks of a brain tumour patient’s life.
“Lethargy, confusion, and night/day reversal are often early signs of decreasing levels of consciousness.
“Drowsiness and lethargy progress and tend to increase significantly in the last week of life. Ultimately, the patient passes into a deep coma in the last few days."
While brain tumours rarely spread, the more aggressive the tumours the faster they are likely to grow.
There are well over 100 different types of brain tumours, but glioblastomas is typically recognised as the most aggressive primary brain cancer in adults.
Not only do these spread to surrounding brain tissue but they often grow completely undetected by the immune system.
These rapid growth rates, combined with the fact that the masses are not defined by clear borders, make it difficult to remove the entire tumour with surgery.
The prognosis is bleak as only 5 percent of people with glioblastoma live for more than five years after diagnosis.
“Although radiation therapy and chemotherapy can reach the tumours, glioblastoma cells can survive and regrow,” explained MD Anderson Cancer Center.
If you are experiencing any brain tumour symptoms, it is important to consult your GP.