What Are The First Symptoms Of A Brain Tumour To Look For?
As brain tumours can vary significantly in how they grow and how they affect people, detection is both essential and can be difficult to spot early.
Knowing the potential signs of a brain tumour is a vital skill to ensure that you get access to the specialist care you need, and as March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month, we want to ensure that everyone with a brain tumour gets the care they need as soon as possible.
Early care and intervention increase your options; some brain tumours can be treated using external beam radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery, particularly when surgery is not possible or as part of a combined treatment plan.
What are the signs to look out for that could signal a brain tumour? Why does early intervention matter so much? And can more be done to ensure that people are able to be treated as quickly as possible?
Why Does Early Intervention Matter For Brain Tumours?
As with other types of cancer, early intervention allows for the most treatments possible, with potentially malignant tumours able to be removed more easily, often with non-surgical alternative treatments.
In particular, the use of stereotactic radiosurgery can destroy tumour cells more easily through the use of precisely focused bursts of radiation.
Rather than inpatient brain surgery, a tumour can be destroyed as an outpatient procedure in a matter of hours, and recuperation in your own home (or dedicated nearby accommodation for international patients) can start almost immediately.
As well as this, some brain tumours progress faster than others, and the sooner an aggressive form of brain cancer is targeted, the faster the cancer can be damaged, shrunk and destroyed, either solely using radiotherapy, or a combination of targeted interventions.
The earlier that specialists know, the quicker they can act, set up treatment plans, book appointments, control or shrink tumours and improve outcomes for many patients..
What Are The Most Common Early Warning Signs Of Brain Tumours?
The first step to brain tumour treatment relies on a person understanding that something feels unusual and not right. If you feel in pain, weak, or unusual in ways that you cannot account for, consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Many of the earliest signs of a brain tumour vary based on where the tumour is located, can develop very slowly and can be confused with other conditions. Headaches are a common symptom of brain tumours, but countless conditions can cause headaches.
Instead, the focus should be on symptoms that manifest in unusual ways, and with that in mind, here are not only the most common early signs of a brain tumour, but also what sets a brain tumour symptom apart from other common conditions.
Persistent Headaches
Almost everyone suffers a headache at some point, and as many as one in seven people live with migraines.
However, if you feel like your headaches are becoming more common, getting worse or are hurting in places of the head you are not used to, it could be a sign of a brain tumour putting pressure on the skull.
Similarly, if they feel worse in the morning or when you lie down, it could be a sign of a brain tumour. Get in touch with your doctor to discuss any unusual symptoms.
Seizures
If you start experiencing seizures, especially if you have no previous history of epilepsy, get in touch with your doctor immediately. They are a common symptom of brain tumours, but even if you have epilepsy, let your doctor know if your seizures change.
Unexpected Vision Issues
Blurred vision, double vision, narrow tunnel vision or any other unusual vision issues can be a sign that a tumour is putting pressure on the visual processing parts of the brain, especially if you have no previous history of vision issues.
Hearing Loss
Sudden tinnitus, drastic hearing loss or a much greater rate of hearing loss than can be accounted for by age or lifestyle could be a sign of a tumour putting pressure on the auditory nerves.
Memory Or Speech Issues
Whilst confusion, short-term memory loss and difficulty with speaking clearly or finding the words can be signs of chronic stress, they can also be caused by a brain tumour.
Should There Be National Brain Tumour Screening Programmes?
There have been debates and discussions about whether there should be a screening programme for brain tumours, similar to those used for breast cancer, bowel cancer and cervical cancer.
At present, the benefits are not seen to outweigh the costs for a widespread screening programme, but if this changes in the future or an affordable, easy-to-undertake test is developed, this could change in the future.
