6/24/08

Brain Cancer

Brain cancer is an uncommon type of cancer, but it is very aggressive and difficult to treat.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,000 individuals will be diagnosed with brain cancer this year.  Brain cancer is very aggressive, says Dr. Krishna Rao, assistant professor of hematology and oncology and member of the SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.  He says brain cancer is usually diagnosed based on symptoms.

SOUND BITE: “The patient may experience a headache, he or she may have other symptoms, such as blurred vision, alteration in speech, or difficulty with performing certain tasks, which include things like walking or using the arm because a certain region of the brain is being affected by the tumor.  Brain cancer may sometimes present with an initial seizure.”

Dr. Rao says some types of brain tumors are benign and do not require any treatment until they start to grow.  Malignant tumors of the brain are very difficult to treat because the brain is the most vital organ in the body and surgeons have to be very careful about how much brain tissue can be removed, while preserving the function of the patient.

SOUND BITE: “Despite the advent of advanced surgical techniques, despite the use of radiation therapy now, advanced radiation therapy techniques, including gama-knife and despite the use of the newest chemotherapy drugs, we still have many patients that frequently develop disease that spreads to other parts of the brain . . .”

Dr. Rao urges patients who have any symptoms of brain cancer to seek treatment from their family physician or a hospital emergency room as soon as possible.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.