Metastatic brain tumors are brain tumors that originate from tissues and organs that are located in other areas of the body. These tumors - a frequent complication in patients with malignant tumors and are a major cause of mortality in these patients.
Risk for brain metastases
Although metastases to the brain can give any malignancy, some tumors often metastasize to the brain as compared with others. The most commonly metastasize to the brain tumor given lung, breast, kidney, colon and melanoma (skin cancer). 30 - 60% of all metastatic brain tumors develop from lung tumors. In 20 - 30% of metastases to the brain cause - breast cancer.
The most common brain metastases occur in patients aged 50 - 70 years. Although the incidence of brain metastases in men and women is almost the same, yet the incidence of certain tumors in men and women is somewhat different. For example, lung cancer - one of the most frequent causes of brain metastases in men, whereas women - is breast cancer.
Symptoms of brain metastases
In addition to the symptoms of metastatic brain tumors, the patient observed and the main features of the tumor.
Increased intracranial pressure. Most patients with symptoms of metastatic brain tumors are associated with increased intracranial pressure, which is manifested by headaches Expander character, nausea and vomiting, as well as some disorders of consciousness.
Headache. Half of patients with metastatic tumors in the brain is the initial symptom of headache.
Nausea. Nausea is often accompanied by headaches. It is most commonly seen in children. In them she is very stubborn. Impaired consciousness. Very often in patients with metastatic tumors in the brain may experience episodes of impaired consciousness, and at various levels, from a stupor to coma up.
Epileptiform convulsions. They are observed in 35% of patients with metastatic brain tumors. This symptom is more common in patients aged 45 years or older.
Focal neurological symptoms. Headache, seizures and impaired consciousness may occur with tumors of different areas of the brain. Some of the symptoms depend on the location of the tumor in a particular brain region. This gives rise to the so-called focal neurological symptoms. Usually, these symptoms are recognized on the side of the body opposite the location of the tumor. For example, if the location of metastatic lung tumor in the left side of the brain, neurological symptoms will occur on the right side of the body. By focal symptoms include sensory disturbances (its decline, hypoesthesia, or lack of it - anesthesia), motor disorders (paralysis, paresis of the arms and legs, or one or another side of the face), impaired speech, vision, hearing, and others.
Diagnosis of metastatic tumors in the brain
In the diagnosis of metastatic tumors in the brain, the following methods: Computed tomography - view X-ray studies, allowing a cross-sectional images of organs and tissues. The principle of obtaining these images lies in the fact that a certain area, which is subjected to the study, exposed X-ray radiation from different angles and at different depths. Further, the information goes to the computer, where it is processed and the whole X-ray image obtained by a certain layer of tissue.
Magnetic resonance imaging - a type of study, allowing a cross-sectional images of internal organs with very high accuracy. It is based on human exposure by electromagnetic waves in a strong magnetic field, after which the electromagnetic radiation is recorded. Further, it is processed by a computer.
Treatment of metastatic brain tumors
Treatment of such tumors depends on the size and type of tumor, location of primary tumor, as well as the patient's general condition.
Drug therapy: it includes drugs to treat the main symptoms of the tumor and chemotherapy. The former include such drugs which facilitate headache (pain relievers), eliminate seizures (anticonvulsants such as phenytoin) and prevent swelling of the brain (eg, steroids - prednisone and others). Chemotherapy drugs designed to kill tumor and metastatic cells.
Surgical treatment: it is aimed at removal of metastasis by surgery. This method is possible with certain types of tumors, the location at which the surgeon can remove without the side effects of the tumor.
Radiation therapy: a method consisting in the use of ionizing radiation, which destroys the tumor cells. It can be used as a relative of the brain, so in a particular area, where there is metastasis. The big advantage with this method is stereotactic radiosurgery, in which the metastatic brain tumor is irradiated with the three sides at different angles. This allows you to destroy tumors that are not available to the surgeon's scalpel. Prognosis of brain metastases
In general, the prognosis for patients with metastatic tumors in the brain is bad. The majority of these patients have metastases in other organs. Death usually occurs within two years. The prognosis depends on many factors, such as the general condition of the patient, type of primary tumor size and incidence of metastasis, etc.
