Brain Cancer - About Brain Cancer
Phoenix Brain Cancer Treatment Center
Over 700,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with brain cancer. Brain cancer can strike men, women, and children of all ages. At Phoenix CyberKnife & Radiation Oncology Center, we make it a point to relieve your fears by providing you with detailed information on the options you have for brain cancer treatment. Our radiosurgery cancer center of excellence treats patients from throughout the Southwest and our caring cancer experts can explain the CyberKnife treatment as well as other options to best meet your brain cancer treatment needs
What is Brain Cancer?
Like all cancer, brain cancer involves an abnormal growth of cells. There are two general categories of brain cancer.
The most common type is the secondary brain tumor. This cancer starts in other parts of the body, such as the colon, lungs, or breast, and then travels (or metastasizes) through the bloodstream to the brain where the cancerous cells grow and multiply in abnormal ways. According to research, approximately 10 to 20 percent of metastatic brain tumors appear as a single tumor and 80+ percent as multiple tumors within the brain
The second type is a primary tumor, which forms in the brain from one of the many types of normal cells. The most common primary brain tumors are gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, vestibular schwannomas, primary CNS lymphomas, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (medulloblastomas). Only about 12 per every 100,000 people per year are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor.
Because the brain, along with the spinal column control your vital functions, having a brain tumor means there is a likelihood that it can affect your normal daily functions such as talking, walking, and seeing.
Brain Tumor Symptoms
Symptoms of brain cancer can vary depending on exactly where the tumor is located, since the brain and spine control so many of our body functions. You might first notice these symptoms when your brain is no longer able to function properly. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Headaches. This can come from the growing tumor, swelling of the brain, bleeding, and other causes.
- Seizures. When abnormal electrical activity happens in your brain, you can have one of several types of seizures.
- Cognitive Challenges. Brain tumors can cause a negative change in the way you think and process thoughts, including memory trouble, and personality or behavior changes.
- Motor Challenges. Problems with your balance, weakness on one side of your body, back pain, weakness or sensations in your extremities, or loss of bodily functions can all be symptoms of a brain tumor
Contact Phoenix CyberKnife For More Information
If you’re facing a brain cancer diagnosis, don’t hesitate to contact Phoenix CyberKnife to find out how our radiation treatments may be integrated into your treatment plan. Give us a call today at (602) 441-3845 or complete our convenient online form with your questions or appointment request. You can trust the radiation oncology experts at Phoenix CyberKnife to explain all the details of your treatment options and work with you and your physicians to create the best possible outcomes for your treatment.
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