Brain tumours
There are more than 200 kinds of brain tumour. The differences between them are often very small, such as changes in the size or shape of the cells seen under a microscope.
The ones that are more common in young people are astrocytomas and ependymomas (these both start in the supportive tissue of the brain).
More information about Brain tumours is available on the Brain Tumour UK website.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms are headaches, feeling sick, drowsy and fits. The symptoms experienced depend on where tumour is in the brain. The cause is unknown.
Your symptoms will depend on how big your brain tumour is, where it is, what grade it is and how fast it is growing. Symptoms that might suggest a brain tumour include:
Headaches which are worse in the morning and may wake you at night. They are usually different from headaches you may have had before.
Nausea and vomiting could mean there is increased pressure in your head (intracranial pressure).
Epileptic seizures are caused by a disturbance in the electrical activity of the brain. They always start in the brain. What happens to the person during the seizure depends on where in the brain this disrupted activity happens.
Weakness, loss of sensation or numbness could be a sign of pressure on a specific part of the brain and can also cause you to walk unsteadily, lack coordination or have muscle weakness on one side of the body.
Hearing loss could be a sign of an acoustic neuroma, a benign tumour growing on a nerve in the ear.
Loss/disturbance of vision, including double vision could happen in one or both eyes, if there is a tumour pressing on the optic nerve or affecting the visual pathways.
Speech difficulties and may also include the loss of the ability to write or understand words.
Lack of concentration, confusion, memory loss, disorientation, drowsiness, dramatic change in behaviour.
Diagnosis
Brain tumours are uncommon, so it is unlikely that you have one – even if you have all of the symptoms. There are many other things that could be causing your symptoms, most of which are harmless. However, if you are worried it is important to go and see your GP as soon as possible.
If your GP suspects you may have a brain tumour, they will refer you to a specialist doctor – a neurologist (a specialist in brain and nerve problems) or an oncologist (a specialist in cancer treatment).
Sometimes, a brain tumour may cause a sudden epileptic seizure or other sudden problem because of where the tumour is in your brain. In this case, you may be taken straight to hospital where tests will be carried out to find out whether you have a tumour or what else has caused the problem.
The doctors or specialists can do a series of tests to find out whether you have a brain tumour. They will choose the best tests for your set of symptoms. The tests may include:
checks to see if your brain and nerves are working normally - a neurological examination
blood tests
scans and X-rays
tests with special monitors
an operation to take a sample of cells - a surgical biopsy.
Find out more information about what getting diagnosed involves.
Get HeadSmart
The HeadSmart Campaign aims to enhance the awareness of symptoms of brain tumours in children and young people.
It's run by a partnership between the Children's Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC) at the University of Nottingham, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (SDBTT), and has been funded by The Health Foundation and SDBTT.
Find out how you can get involved in the Headsmart campaign...
Brain Tumour UK
More detailed information is available through the leading, caring charity committed to fighting brain tumours, Brain Tumour UK.
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