Brain Cancer Research Paper

When I was a child, my aunt was diagnosed with brain cancer. From early on, they said that it was unlikely that she was going to survive this disease. They also mentioned that if she was going to survive, the long-term affects she was going to have were going to change her life forever. Being a child, it was extremely difficult for me to understand. I really had no idea what brain cancer was. Even to this day, I was only aware of the general knowledge of it — having a brain tumor, and then most likely dying.

My aunt’s battle with brain cancer lead me to research the disease and discover the causes, treatments, and long term affects of brain cancer and how to prevent this disease. During my search, I discovered many articles that explained in detail what brain cancer was and what affects it has on the brain 1.2describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia. As I continued my journey, I discovered that the brain is made up of millions of cells and that it is the central part of the body and probably one of the most, if not, the most important organ in the entire body.

The brain is not only the most important organ in your body, but it is also the most complex one. The brain is the focal point of my exploration. I examined the basic anatomy of the brain and discovered an article on “The Anatomy of the Brain” by Kendra Cherry (1-2) that discusses each part of the brain and it’s function. The brain is made up of four lobes: the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the occipital lobe. The frontal lobe is the front of the brain and the area of the brain that associates with reasoning, motor skills, higher level cognition, and expressive language.

The parietal lobe is located in the middle of the brain and is the area of the brain that associates with processing tactile sensory information such as pressure touch and pain. The temporal lobe is the area of the brain located in the bottom, this lobe is important for interpreting sounds, and the language we hear and understand. The occipital lobe is in the back area of the brain and is responsible for interpreting stimuli and information. Any damages to any of these lobes can cause long-term effects that cannot be recovered from.

Learning the basic anatomy of the brain made it easier for me to understand the affects that brain cancer has on the brain and why it is so difficult to survive this disease. It was important for me to understand the basic function of the brain before continuing to learn about the disease. Continuing my search, I discovered all of the symptoms, causes and treatments for brain cancer. Also, I spent a lot of time researching brain cancer and I learned exactly what brain cancer is and the effects it has on the brain and the rest of the body. According to Dr.

Charles Patrick Davis from medicinenet. com, Brain cancer is a disease of the brain in which cancer cells arise in the brain tissue. Cancer cells form a mass of cancer tissue, also known as a tumor, and interfere with brain functions. The most common symptoms of brain cancer include, weakness, seizures, headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurry vision, and change in memory and speech. These symptoms can vary depending on the size of the tumor. These symptoms described in an article on webmd. com, are similar to many of the symptoms my aunt was experiencing before she was diagnosed with brain cancer.

These symptoms are what lead her to believe that something was wrong. (National Brain Cancer Society 2013, 1-2) If you’ve been experiencing brain cancer symptoms, there are many tests that can be performed, such as, a neurological exam, brain scan, MRI, CT scan, CAT scan, PET scan, or a biopsy (Brain Cancer Health Center 1-2). According to The Brain Cancer Health Center, a neurological examination is a series of tests to measure the function of the person’s nervous system, physical, and mental alertness. This test will determine whether or not the brain is responding normally.

If it is not, the doctor may order a brain scan. A brain scan uses a special camera to capture a picture of the internal structure of the brain. The picture can also differentiate between normal and abnormal brain tissue. The most common diagnosis is MRI, CT/CAT scan, and PET scans (Brain Cancer Health Center 1-2). An MRI uses magnetic fields and computers to capture of the brain on film without using x-rays. An MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging cannot only detect abnormal tissues, but can show clear images of tumors. CT/CAT scans can show a combination of soft tissue, bone and blood vessels.

CT/CAT scans or Computed Tomography can determine tumors; detect swelling, bleeding and bone tissue calcification. If any of these tests come out positive for anything abnormal or any tumors, a biopsy will be performed. A biopsy is a surgical procedure done to sample tissue from the tumor and is examined under a microscope. The biopsy’s purpose is to determine the grade of tumor and is the most accurate method of obtaining a diagnosis. To perform an open biopsy, it is done during a craniotomy, which involves removing a piece of the skull to gain access to the brain.

After the biopsy is completed, the bone is usually put back into place. In a closed biopsy, instead of removing a piece of the skull, the surgeon will drill a small hole into the skull and passes a narrow hollow needle into the tumor to remove a sample tissue to be tested. Brain cancer treatment is based according to the location of the tumor, the size and type of the tumor, your age, and any medical problems you have (Brain Cancer Health Center 1-2). The most common types of treatment are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

It is common for most people with brain cancer to undergo surgery to remove the tumor. With these surgeries, steroid drugs will be given to you to relieve swelling or drugs to prevent seizures. Aside from surgery, there are different therapies that can be given to treat brain cancer. Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy rays to kill tumor cells, stopping them from growing and multiplying. Radiation can be used in patients that cannot undergo surgery or after surgery to kill the remains of the tumor.

Radiation can be given externally, using a high-energy beam of radiation targeted at the tumor through the skin, skull and healthy brain tissue to get to the tumor, or internally, using a radioactive capsule that is placed inside the tumor—destroying the tumor. (Brain Cancer Health Center 1-2). Chemotherapy is very common in brain cancer treatment. Chemotherapy is the use of powerful drugs to kill tumor cells, given either by mouth or through an IV line. Chemotherapy is well known for how difficult it is to undergo the treatment because of the strong side effects.

The side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of appetite, or loss of hair (Brain Cancer Health Center 1-2). According to Lee Francis to prevent brain cancer, it is best to stay away from chemicals such as vinyl chloride, which is an established for brain cancer. Therapeutic radiation exposure to the head is considered a major cause of childhood cancer according to the American cancer association, increasing the risk of brain tumors. Radiation from other cancers increases the possibility of brain cancer.

Eating healthy, regular visits to your doctor and limited consumption of alcohol and minimal smoking is said to decrease your risk of brain cancer according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (Francis, Lee 1-3) Reflections of My Search Although the survival rate for brain cancer is less than 10%, the treatments do prolong survival and improve life with brain cancer. I discovered that just because there is a low survival rate, does not mean it is impossible to overcome this disease. My aunt for example survived brain cancer years ago when research and technology was not as advanced as before.

If precautions are taken and the treatments are followed, survival is more likely. My aunt followed the doctor’s orders and that is why she is one of few survivors of this disease. While researching this disease, I kept my research consistent and thoroughly investigated every piece of information to ensure that my research was a detailed and specific as it could be. I searched through many websites and articles looking for the most reliable information to include in this assignment. This journey was lengthy but worth it.