Word on Brain Tumour

Our grateful thanks to The Brain Tumour Charity for their contribution to our on-air report which you can hear again via the audio player below. We'd also like to thank the NHS for the use of the information below.

As mentioned by Dr David Jenkinson the Brain Tumour Charity provides an online brain symptom checker at www.headsmart.org.uk click here to visit that site. For further help and support you can reach The Brain Tumour Charity via this link

Grades and types of brain tumour.  Brain tumours are graded according to how fast they grow and how likely they are to grow back after treatment.

Grade 1 and 2 tumours are low grade, and grade 3 and 4 tumours are high grade.

There are 2 main types of brain tumours:

• non-cancerous (benign) brain tumours – these are low grade (grade 1 or 2), which means they grow slowly and are less likely to return after treatment
• cancerous (malignant) brain tumours – these are high grade (grade 3 or 4) and either start in the brain (primary tumours) or spread into the brain from elsewhere (secondary tumours); they're more likely to grow back after treatment

Symptoms of a brain tumour.  The symptoms of a brain tumour vary depending on the exact part of the brain affected and they can be different dependant on age click here to visit The Brain Tumour Charity's symptom checker. 

Common symptoms include:

• headaches
• seizures (fits)
• persistently feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and drowsiness
• mental or behavioural changes, such as memory problems or changes in personality
• progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
• vision or speech problems

Sometimes you may not have any symptoms to begin with, or they may develop very slowly over time.

When to see a GP.  See a GP if you have these types of symptoms, particularly if you have a headache that feels different from the type of headache you usually get, or if headaches are getting worse.

You may not have a brain tumour, but these types of symptoms should be checked.

If the GP cannot identify a more likely cause of your symptoms, they may refer you to a doctor who specialises in the brain and nervous system (neurologist) for further assessment and tests, such as a brain scan.

Who's affected.  Brain tumours can affect people of any age, including children, although they tend to be more common in older adults.

Causes and risks. The cause of most brain tumours is unknown, but there are several risk factors that may increase your chances of developing a brain tumour.

Risk factors include:

• age – the risk of getting a brain tumour increases with age (most brain tumours happen in older adults aged 85 to 89), although some types of brain tumour are more common in children
• radiation – exposure to radiation accounts for a very small number of brain tumours; some types of brain tumours are more common in people who have had radiotherapy, CT scans or X-rays of the head
• family history and genetic conditions – some genetic conditions are known to increase the risk of getting a brain tumour, including tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis type 1, neurofibromatosis type 2 and Turner syndrome

Treating brain tumours.  If you have a brain tumour, your treatment will depend on:

• the type of tumour
• where it is in your brain
• how big it is and how far it's spread
• how abnormal the cells are
• your overall health and fitness

For further help and advice click here to visit The Brain Tumour Charity website.

Listen to this weeks radio report