Metastasis brain cancer

There are about 24,000 primary brain tumors per year in the U.S. - tumors which start in the brain, grow there, and almost never spread beyond it. The vast majority of tumors involving the brain, however, have spread there from cancers arising elsewhere. Sites outside the brain, such as the lung, breast, skin (melanoma), bowel, kidney, etc. develop cancers from which tiny clumps break off, travel through the blood stream, and lodge in the brain. Some of these clumps of cancer cells find the brain to be fertile soil and grow there.

It’s hard to estimate the total number of brain metastases. In the U.S., there are about 1.6 million new cancers each year and about 10% - 30% of those will give rise to brain metastases. Lung cancers are probably responsible for the most, spreading to the brain at least 25% of the time.

Brain metastases, just like primary brain tumors, can cause any possible neurologic symptoms - seizures, muscle weakness, paralysis, sensory changes, cognitive dysfunction, the inability to speak, blindness, deafness - anything you can think of.

The treatment for brain metastases is obvious - we have to get rid of them - so they stop putting pressure on the healthy brain tissue and interfering with its function. Sometimes surgical removal is the most efficient way to do this, but more commonly, the focused use of radiation therapy can kill the cancer cells, which can then be resorbed by the immune system. Focussing high doses of radiation precisely on the areas involved by tumor cells is a technique called stereotactic radiosurgery. Systemic treatments, such as chemotherapy are less effective due to a layer in walls of the the arteries supplying blood to the brain called, appropriately enough, the Blood Brain Barrier. Newer therapies, such as those which modulate the immune system, may not be so limited in this regard, but their efficacy is still under investigation.

If someone with a cancer diagnosis develops new neurologic symptoms, an MRI may be indicated to assess the possibility of brain metastasis. The sooner they are treated, the less permanent brain damage occurs and the better the quality of life for the patient.

Additionally, Every year approx 100,000 people in the United States diagnosed with brain metastasis. Brain metastasis is cancer started in another part of a body and spread to the brain, these types of brain tumor is also called as secondary brain cancer. Brain metastasis is not same as primary brain cancer but some common in both brain tumors sometimes best to consider the second opinion for cancer.

Many types of cancer spread to the brain these cancers are as follows.

• Bladder cancer
• Breast cancer
• Germ cell tumor
• Kidney cancer
• Leukemia
• Lung cancer
• Melanoma

Some symptoms of metastasis brain tumor including

• Decreased coordination
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Memory loss
• Numbness
• Rapid emotional changes
• Vision changes
• Vomiting
• Weakness of body area