1. Brief Introduction
Brain metastases are cancerous tumors in the brain that have spread to the brain from another part of the body. Types of cancer that commonly spread to the brain include lung, breast, kidney, colorectal, and skin (melanoma) cancers. Brain metastases are different from primary brain cancer. Primary brain cancer happens when normal cells in the brain change into abnormal cells and grow out of control. Brain metastases are made up of cancer cells from another part of the body.
2. Symptoms
Brain metastases can cause different symptoms, including:
◆ Headache – The headache is often worse when you bend over, cough, or sneeze. Some people have nausea and vomiting with their headache.
◆ Trouble moving your arm or leg on 1 side of your body
◆ Memory or thinking problems
◆ Changes in mood, behavior, or personality
◆ Seizures – Seizures are waves of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. They can make people pass out, or move or behave strangely.
All of these symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not brain metastases. But if you have cancer and get any of these symptoms, tell your doctor or nurse.
3. Examinations
The test most commonly done to check for brain metastases is an imaging test called an MRI. Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body. Another test that is sometimes done is a brain biopsy. For a brain biopsy, a doctor takes a small sample of tissue from the tumor. Then another doctor looks at the sample under a microscope.
4. Treatment Options
Treatment depends on many factors, such as:
◆ Your symptoms
◆ How far the cancer has spread in your body
◆ Your overall health
◆ Your prognosis – This is the term doctors use to describe how long they expect you to live.
Treatment for brain metastases can include 1 or more of the following:
◆ Surgery to remove all or part of a tumor
◆ Radiation therapy – Radiation kills cancer cells. Doctors use radiation in different ways to treat brain metastases. With "stereotactic radiosurgery," the radiation is aimed only at the area with cancer. With "whole brain radiation therapy," the whole brain is treated with radiation.
◆ Targeted therapy – These are medicines that work only for cancers with certain characteristics. Your doctor might do tests to see if this kind of therapy is an option for you.
◆ Immunotherapy – This is the term doctors use for medicines that work with the body's infection-fighting system (the "immune system") to stop cancer growth.
People also usually have other treatments to help with symptoms or problems caused by the brain metastases. These might include:
◆ Medicines called steroids that can reduce swelling in the brain – These are not the same as the steroids some athletes take illegally.
◆ Medicines to manage and prevent seizures
You can find professional doctors and experts about this disease here for your further consultation and treatment.
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