In a short time, the medical team managed to stabilize her and rushed her to the emergency room.  An MRI revealed that she had a brain tumor the size of an golf ball.

This young nurse had no symptoms to indicate that she had a problem.  She didn’t suffer from headaches or balance issues and she didn’t have nausea and vomiting, all the most common symptoms of a brain tumor.  The seizure that sent her to the emergency room was the only symptom of the tumor growing in her brain.

Being diagnosed with a brain tumor is probably one of the most frightening experiences anyone can have.  The brain makes us who we are, allows us to move and function without difficulty and can be relied upon to interpret the world around us.  Brain tumors threaten to move us away from reality and independence.  But the prognosis in many brain tumor cases is not dire.

The incidence of brain tumors is 6.1 per 100,000 people.  Compared to other tumors, that is a relatively low incidence – so brain tumors are not common.  In the United States approximately 13,000 children and adults die from brain tumors every year.  Brain tumors are most common in Caucasians, particularly in males over the age of 55.  Survival rates for brain cancer are based on the type, location of the tumor and age of onset.  People with benign tumors have an 85 to 90% survival rate over 5 years, whereas people with the most severe form of brain cancer (Glioblastoma Multiform) have a 5 year survival rate of 13%.

The outcome of a brain tumor is determined by whether it is benign or malignant, what kind of cells make up the tumor and where it is located in the brain.  Tumors in the meninges, or the covering of the brain, are most commonly found in adults and are almost always benign.  Once the tumor is removed, outcomes are very good.   If a tumor is located in the brain stem where all swallowing, breathing, blood pressure and motor function is regulated, then outcomes are poor to grave.

Signs of a brain tumor vary with the location.  If someone has a sudden personality change, becomes paranoid or belligerent and seems like a totally different person, an immediate visit to a physician should take place to rule out a frontal lobe brain tumor. 

Seizures are frequently the first sign of a brain tumor and should always be taken seriously.   Nausea, vomiting and headache that continues over an extended period of time, blurred or double vision, weakness in an extremity, loss of balance, hearing and speech problems, especially slurring of speech all may signal the presence of a brain tumor.

Knowing how your body functions, recognizing when something is wrong and immediately seeking medical help is the best way to stay healthy regardless of the disease process.  However, particularly in the presence of a brain tumor, early intervention is essential for reaching a good outcome.