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Brain Tumor

Brain Tumor

A brain tumor is found either in the brain itself or in the skull, pituitary or pineal glands. Brain tumors are those that originate in the brain. They can be malignant or benign. Malignant brain tumors grow in size rapidly and destroy surrounding brain tissues. A rapidly growing brain tumor can cause damage to areas of the brain that affect sight, movement, speech, hearing, balance and behavior. Secondary brain tumors are those that result from cancers occuring in other parts of the body, such as lung and breast.

Typical symptoms associated with brain tumor are persistent and severe headaches, blurred and double vision as well as unexplained nausea and vomiting. A person suffering from brain tumor may have speech difficulties and difficulty in balance. There might be seizures, changes in behavior and hormonal disorders. Some persons with brain tumor notice tingling in the limbs.

A general physical examination including checkup of vision, hearing and reflexes is conducted by the physician. CT allows a physician to view images of the brain. MRI scan and xrays of the head also aid diagnosis of brain tumor. Brain activity is measured with the help of tests such as MRS (magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and PET (positron emission tomography help in assessing brain activity. Angiograms assist in locating the blood vessels around a brain tumor. A spinal tap can detect any cancerous cells.

A biopsy of a piece of brain tissue is conducted to analyze the type of tumor it is. Surgery is one of the main treatment options for those suffering from brain tumor. Radiation and chemotherapy are used to destroy cancerous cells.

Laryngeal Tumor

Laryngeal Tumor can occur in any part of the larynx, the glottis, subglottis or supraglottis. Laryngeal tumors that are cancerous account for a large part of head and neck cancers. These tumors can be staged based on their location and are graded from T1 to T4. Tumors of the supraglottis tend to remain undetected for long since there is no perceptible change in voice in the early stages. On the other hand, even a small lesion or tumor in the glottis causes the voice to change. Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption are known to increase the risk of laryngeal cancer. Those who suffer exposure to wood dust, asbestos or ionization radiation are more susceptible to laryngeal cancer.

Laryngeal tumors lead to symptoms such as sore throat, ear pain and pain on swallowing. There may be hoarseness in the voice depending on the location of the laryngeal tumor. Blood may be noticed in the sputum. Treatment for laryngeal tumor depends on the location, size and stage of the tumor. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery are the possible treatment options. Partial laryngectomy involves removal of a portion of the larynx. Total laryngectomy is the removal of the entire larynx.

Hepatocarcinoma

Malignant hepatoma, which is primary cancer of the liver is termed hepatocarcinoma. Hepatocarcinoma is secondary in about 20% to either a viral hepatitide infection (hepatitis B and C) and about 80% to cirrhosis. In some cases, it is metastasis of cancer, spread from elsewhere in the body. It is also associated with chronic alcohol abuse. Hepatocellular carcinoma is relatively rare in the United States but quite common in the African and Southeast Asian countries. Infact, this is the fifth most common tumor worldwide. In some African countries the disease onsets between late teens and 30s although the normal occurrence is in patients over age 50. Hepatocarcinoma is more common in males than females.

Hepatocarcinoma patients are put under surveillance with ultrasound. Possibly the best method of diagnosis involves a CT scan of the abdomen. This is done using intravenous contrast agent and three phase scanning, enabling the radiologist to detect subtle tumors as well. Another possible alternative to a CT imaging is MRI, using contrast agents which is used to detect the presence of a tumor capsule. Diagnosis is further confirmed by percutaneous biopsy and histopathological parameters.

Treatment for hepatocarcinoma depends especially on the size of the tumor and staging. Some of the treatment options are liver transplantation, which is to replace the liver with a cadaver liver or a live donor lobe; surgical resection wherein the tumor is removed if diagnosed early; Percutaneous ethanol injections in case of solitary tumors and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for large tumors.

Sometimes sealed source radiotherapy is used to destroy the tumor from within. Here, the radioactive particles are deposited to the area of interest using a catheter. Radiofrequency ablation uses high frequency radio waves to ablate the tumor. As an adjuvant therapy in resected patients, intra-arterial-iodine-131-lipiodol administration is performed. High intensity frequency ultrasound is a relatively new but powerful technique used to treat the tumor. Hormonal therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy are other treatment modalities adopted. Cryosurgery is yet another new technique that can destroy tumors in a variety of sites, in the brain, breast, kidney, prostrate and liver.