What are the common symptoms of brain tumors? How do they differ based on tumor location? Explore the comprehensive list of general and specific symptoms to identify potential brain tumor signs.

Decoding the General Symptoms of Brain Tumors

Brain tumors can manifest a variety of general symptoms that are caused by the pressure exerted on the brain or spinal cord. These include:

• Headaches: Often severe and worsening with activity or in the early morning.
• Seizures: Ranging from myoclonic and tonic-clonic (grand mal) to sensory and complex partial seizures.
• Loss of bodily functions: Such as loss of bladder control.
• Personality or memory changes: Including loss of initiative, sluggishness, and aggression.
• Nausea or vomiting: Especially in the morning.
• Fatigue, drowsiness, and sleep problems: Impacting daily activities.
• Memory problems: Difficulty with recalling information.
• Changes in mobility: Difficulty walking or performing daily tasks.

Specific Symptoms Based on Tumor Location

The specific symptoms of a brain tumor are often determined by the part of the brain affected. Some common location-based symptoms include:

• Cerebellum: Loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills.
• Frontal lobe: Changes in judgment, muscle weakness or paralysis.
• Occipital or temporal lobe: Partial or complete loss of vision.
• Frontal and temporal lobe: Changes in speech, hearing, memory, or emotional state.
• Frontal or parietal lobe: Altered perception of touch, arm/leg weakness, or confusion with left/right sides.
• Pineal gland: Inability to look upward.
• Pituitary gland: Lactation, altered menstrual periods, and growth of hands/feet.
• Brain stem: Difficulty swallowing, facial weakness/numbness, or double vision.

Understanding Symptom Reporting and Diagnosis

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to discuss them with your doctor. They will assess the cause and may order tests to diagnose the underlying condition, which could be a brain tumor. Reporting any changes in symptoms is crucial, as it helps your healthcare team understand the progression of the tumor and provide appropriate treatment and management.

The Role of Palliative and Supportive Care

Relieving symptoms remains an important part of brain tumor treatment and management, even if a cure is not possible. This type of care, known as palliative and supportive care, focuses on managing symptoms and supporting individuals with serious illnesses, such as cancer. It can be provided at any stage of the treatment process and is not limited to end-of-life care.

Navigating the Complexities of Brain Tumor Symptoms

Brain tumors can present a wide range of symptoms, both general and specific to the affected brain region. It is crucial to be aware of these symptoms and report any changes to your healthcare team promptly. By understanding the nuances of brain tumor symptoms, you can empower yourself and work closely with your doctors to ensure timely diagnosis and effective management of your condition.

Unraveling the Connection Between Symptoms and Brain Tumor Locations

The specific symptoms of a brain tumor are often determined by the part of the brain affected. For example, a tumor in the cerebellum may cause loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills, while a tumor in the frontal lobe may lead to changes in judgment, muscle weakness, or paralysis. Understanding these location-based symptoms can help healthcare professionals identify the potential tumor site and guide the diagnostic process.

Mastering the Art of Symptom Reporting for Better Outcomes

Reporting any changes in symptoms, including new or worsening symptoms, is crucial for the healthcare team to effectively manage your condition. By keeping track of your symptoms and communicating them to your doctors, you can help them understand the progression of the tumor and tailor the treatment plan accordingly. This collaborative approach can lead to better outcomes and a more comprehensive understanding of your brain tumor journey.

Brain Tumor: Symptoms and Signs

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 03/2023

ON THIS PAGE: You will find out more about the changes and medical problems that can be a sign of a brain tumor. Use the menu to see other pages.

What are the symptoms and signs of a brain tumor?

People with a brain tumor may experience one or more of the following symptoms or signs. Symptoms are changes that you can feel in your body. Signs are changes in something measured, like taking your blood pressure or doing a lab test. Together, symptoms and signs can help describe a medical problem. Sometimes, people with a brain tumor do not have any of the symptoms and signs described below. Or, the cause of a symptom or sign may be a medical condition that is not a brain tumor.

Symptoms of a brain tumor can be general or specific. A general symptom is caused by the pressure of the tumor on the brain or spinal cord. Specific symptoms are caused when a specific part of the brain is not working well because of the tumor. For many people with a brain tumor, they were diagnosed when they went to the doctor after experiencing a problem, such as a headache or other changes.

General symptoms of a brain tumor

• Headaches, which may be severe and worsen with activity or in the early morning

• Seizures. People may experience different types of seizures. Certain drugs can help prevent or control them. Motor seizures, also called convulsions, are sudden involuntary movements of a person’s muscles. The different types of seizures and what they look like are listed below:

  • Myoclonic

  • Tonic-Clonic (Grand Mal)

    • Loss of consciousness and body tone, followed by twitching and relaxing muscles that are called contractions

    • Loss of control of body functions, such as loss of bladder control

    • May be a short 30-second period of no breathing and a person’s skin may turn a shade of blue, purple, gray, white, or green

    • After this type of seizure, a person may be sleepy and experience a headache, confusion, weakness, numbness, and sore muscles

  • Sensory

  • Complex partial

    • May cause a loss of awareness or a partial or total loss of consciousness

    • May be associated with repetitive, unintentional movements, such as twitching

• Personality or memory changes

• Nausea or vomiting

• Fatigue

• Drowsiness

• Sleep problems

• Memory problems

• Changes in ability to walk or perform daily activities

Symptoms that may be specific to the brain tumor location

• Pressure or headache near the tumor.

• Loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills is linked with a tumor in the cerebellum.

• Changes in judgment, including loss of initiative, sluggishness, and muscle weakness or paralysis is associated with a tumor in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum.

• Partial or complete loss of vision is caused by a tumor in the occipital lobe or temporal lobe of the cerebrum.

• Changes in speech, hearing, memory, or emotional state, such as aggressiveness and problems understanding or retrieving words can develop from a tumor in the frontal and temporal lobe of the cerebrum.

• Altered perception of touch or pressure, arm or leg weakness on 1 side of the body, or confusion with left and right sides of the body are linked to a tumor in the frontal or parietal lobe of the cerebrum.

• Inability to look upward can be caused by a pineal gland tumor.

• Lactation, which is the secretion of breast milk, and altered menstrual periods, as well as growth of the hands and feet during adulthood, are linked with a pituitary tumor.

• Difficulty swallowing, facial weakness or numbness, or double vision is a symptom of a tumor in the brain stem.

• Vision changes, including loss of part of the vision or double vision can be from a tumor in the temporal lobe, occipital lobe, or brain stem.

If you are concerned about any changes you experience, please talk with your doctor. Your doctor will try to understand what is causing your symptom(s). They may do an exam and order tests to understand the cause of the problem, which is called a diagnosis.

If a brain tumor is diagnosed, relieving symptoms remains an important part of your care and treatment. Managing symptoms may also be called “palliative and supportive care,” which is not the same as hospice care given at the end of life. This type of care focuses on managing symptoms and supporting people who face serious illnesses, such as cancer. You can receive palliative and supportive care at any time during cancer treatment. Learn more in this guide’s section on Coping with Treatment.

Be sure to talk with your health care team about the symptoms you experience, including any new symptoms or a change in symptoms. Learn more about managing symptoms of a brain tumor in the Types of Treatment section.

The next section in this guide is Diagnosis. It explains what tests may be needed to learn more about the cause of the symptoms. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.

‹ Brain Tumor – Risk Factors
up
Brain Tumor – Diagnosis ›

Signs & Symptoms

When brain tumors are very small, some people may not experience any symptoms or the symptoms are so minimal they don’t notice them.

As brain tumors grow, signs and symptoms can vary and largely depend on the tumor’s location within the brain, its size, and how quickly it grows.

Some of the more common signs and symptoms caused by brain tumors include the following:

• Headaches
• Seizures 
• Difficulty thinking, speaking, or finding words
• Changes in personality or behavior
• Weakness, numbness, or loss of movement in one part or one side of the body
• Difficulty with balance or dizziness
• Sensory changes like difficulty hearing, difficulty seeing, or loss of smell
• Memory loss
• Confusion in everyday matters or disorientation
• Unexplained nausea or vomiting
• Fatigue or muscle weakness

Other possible signs and symptoms can include abnormal eye movements, trouble swallowing, trouble walking, weakness or drooping of one side of the face, loss of appetite or weight loss, and slurred speech.

If you are experiencing any new, persistent, or concerning symptoms or you suspect you may have a brain tumor, please talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

If you suddenly experience any of the following symptoms, please call 911:

• Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg
• Trouble speaking or understanding speech
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Difficulty with walking, balance, or dizziness
• Worst headache of your life

While seizures may not require emergency medical attention, call 911 if one or more of the below are true:

• You have never experienced a seizure before
• The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes
• Another seizure soon follows the first one
• A person has difficulty breathing or walking after the seizure
• A person is having a seizure in water
• The person has another health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or pregnancy

Areas of the Brain

Some people with brain tumors experience general symptoms like headaches, seizures, and fatigue. Other symptoms can be more specific to the location of the tumor in the brain.

Brain tumors can damage healthy tissue, press on healthy brain tissue, or cause pressure in the brain and negatively impact certain functions.

If you are diagnosed with a brain tumor, ask your provider where it is located in the brain to better prepare for possible symptoms and safety concerns.

Learn More About the Areas of the Brain

The cerebrum is the uppermost and largest part of the brain. It processes sensation, generates thought, and controls conscious activity. The cerebrum has two sides — the right and the left hemispheres that each control the opposite side of the body — and each side is divided into four lobes with specific functions: the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the occipital lobe.

The frontal lobe is the part of the cerebrum that is located in the front of the brain. It is responsible for higher executive functions like regulating emotions, planning, reasoning, and problem-solving.  

Symptoms of a tumor in the frontal lobe can include:

• Changes in personality, mood, or behavior
• Lack of inhibition or decreased impulse control
• Difficulty concentrating
• Agitation or aggression
• Sluggishness
• Weakness in one side of the body
• Loss of smell
• Trouble speaking (Broca’s area)

The parietal lobe is the part of the cerebrum that is located behind the frontal lobe. It is responsible for processing and interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, pressure, and pain. It is also involved in telling the right from the left, navigation, language, and reading.

Symptoms of a tumor in the parietal lobe can include:

• Numbness or weakness in one side of the body
• Difficulty with spatial awareness and judging distances
• Loss of coordination including hand-eye coordination
• Trouble speaking, understanding words, reading, or writing

The temporal lobe is part of the cerebrum that is located on the side of the brain near the ears. It is responsible for hearing and understanding what we’re hearing, visual processing like recognizing people’s faces, and memory.

Symptoms of a tumor in the temporal lobe can include:

• Numbness or weakness in one side of the body
• Difficulty hearing or speaking
• Correctly identifying emotions in others
• Memory loss
• Strange sensations or smells
• Seizures

The occipital lobe is part of the cerebrum that is located at the back of the brain. It is responsible for sight and activities like reading and recognizing colors.

Symptoms of a tumor in the occipital lobe can include:

• Loss of vision
• Difficulty identifying objects

There are five additional areas that can be affected by the location of the tumor.

The cerebellum is located at the back part of the brain near the bottom of the head. It is mainly responsible for balance, coordination, movement, and fine motor skills.

Symptoms of a tumor in the cerebellum can include:

• Difficulty walking (ataxia)
• Uncoordinated muscle movements
• Loss of fine motor skills
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Dizziness or loss of balance

The brain stem is the part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord and the cerebellum. It controls involuntary and essential functions such as breathing and the beating of the heart.

Symptoms of a tumor in the brain stem can include:

• Seizures
• Unsteadiness and difficulty walking
• Loss of movement in the muscles in the face
• Difficulty speaking
• Difficulty swallowing
• Double vision
• Changes in breathing

The spinal cord is a long column of nerve tissue that begins at the end of the brain stem and down the center of the spine. It allows for movement, feeling sensation, and control of different functions in the body.

Tumors in the spinal cord can impact the nerves, blood vessels, and bones of the spine. Symptoms can include:

• Local pain at the site of the tumor
• Back pain that radiates to other parts of the body
• Loss of sensitivity to pain, heat, or cold
• Loss of bladder or bowel function (incontinence)
• Difficulty walking
• Loss of sensation or muscle weakness in the arms or legs

The meninges are three layers of tissue that surround and protect the brain and the spinal cord. The meninges provide a support system and protect the nervous system from injury.

Symptoms of a tumor of the meninges can include:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in vision or bulging of the eyes
• Loss of smell
• Hearing loss
• Seizures
• Overactive reflexes
• Muscle weakness in certain areas of the body
• Paralysis in certain areas of the body

While not technically part of the brain, the pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain. It secretes hormones and helps regulate many processes in the body like growth, metabolism, and reproduction.

Tumors in the pituitary gland can cause symptoms that include:

• Headache
• Vision loss
• Increase or decrease in hormone production that lead to changes like weight loss or gain, sexual dysfunction, feeling cold, excessive sweating, and more

Additional Resources

Managing Symptoms through Palliative Care

National Brain Tumor Society’s Symptom Tracker

National Cancer Institute’s My STORI^TM Symptom Tracking App

American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Cancer.Net Mobile App

10 Symptoms of a Brain Tumor You Should Know

Likbez

Health

April 14, 2021

Lifehacker figured out what health changes you need to go to a neurologist.

What is a brain tumor and what is it like

A brain tumor is a neoplasm that forms due to uncontrolled cell division.

By nature, all tumors are divided into two types:

• Benign. They move apart the surrounding cells and become covered by a capsule. The shell does not allow the neoplasm to spread to other tissues.
• Malignant, or cancer. They grow into neighboring areas of the brain, so they cannot be separated from healthy tissues.

In addition, tumors differ in the place of origin. Primary ones grow immediately from brain cells, and secondary (metastatic) ones spread to this area from other organs. Secondary neoplasms are always considered malignant.

The exact causes of the disease are unknown. Doctors suggest that heredity or radiation is to blame. Therefore, it is not yet possible to prevent the appearance of a neoplasm.

Any brain tumor can greatly worsen the state of health, because it puts pressure on the organ. Sometimes this leads to paralysis, the formation of a hernia, which, in turn, can cause a coma or even stop breathing and heartbeat. But if you know the symptoms, there is a chance to contact a neurologist in time and start treatment.

What are the symptoms of a brain tumor? Here are 10 symptoms that can indicate both a benign tumor and cancer.

1. Headaches

This is one of the most common symptoms of a brain tumor. When the neoplasm increases in size, it begins to put pressure on the nerve endings or compresses the blood vessels, so pain appears. This is how it differs from the usual malaise:

• may be worse in the morning after sleep, and then weaken;
• sometimes becomes permanent;
• aggravated by coughing, sneezing and exercise;
• may be accompanied by vomiting;
• Pain cannot be treated with OTC pain relievers.

2. Cognitive impairment

Some people may notice at the very beginning of their illness that it is difficult for them to concentrate, speak, write or read. What kind of cognitive impairment will appear depends on where the tumor grows:

• In the temporal lobe – speech worsens, it can become slurred or slow, incoherent.
• In the parietal lobe – a person loses the ability to reason, cannot read from right to left, or even loses the ability to read, intelligence decreases.
• In the frontal lobe – the sick person cannot plan his actions, make decisions. For example, if you offer him two glasses of drinks, he will choose for a long time, but he will never be able to take a single one. The ability to take initiative also disappears, behavior becomes inhibited.

In addition, a tumor in the temporal or frontal lobe often impairs memory. And the short term suffers the most. This means that the person will remember the names of loved ones and events that happened a long time ago. But he will easily forget where he put the keys, what he ate for breakfast or what he did yesterday.

3. Personality changes

Unlike tumors of other organs, brain tumors can greatly affect the character. And it is quickly noticed by others. For example, a kind person who has always been happy to communicate suddenly becomes withdrawn and aggressive. Some develop despotic or domineering behavior, a desire to suppress others.

4. Seizures

Electrical impulses pass between the brain cells along the nerve processes. When an obstacle in the form of a tumor appears in their path, the signal is forced to bypass other processes or be interrupted. Therefore, neurons send impulses at the wrong frequency. Sometimes this leads to a seizure. Here are its features:

• It starts suddenly, unlike epilepsy, when a person feels the approach of convulsions.
• Appears in stages. First, consciousness and tone of the whole body are lost, and then the muscles twitch.
• Accompanied by blue skin, or cyanosis. This is due to the stoppage of breathing. It usually lasts no longer than 30 seconds.
• During an attack, control over body functions disappears. Therefore, there may be involuntary urination.
• Lasts 2-3 minutes.

Not everyone has seizures, but sometimes it is the first symptom of a brain tumor.

5. Depression and mood swings

The tumor disrupts the brain: serotonin and endorphins are not synthesized properly in it. Therefore, every fourth person with such a diagnosis suffers from depression. This is not just a bad mood, but a condition that is accompanied by a breakdown, loss of interest in life and habitual activities, a feeling of worthlessness or guilt. Some even have suicidal thoughts.

Sometimes there are also mood swings. At first, a person is happy and contented with everything, but then, for no apparent reason, he becomes angry and aggressive or begins to cry.

6. Psycho-neurological symptoms

With a brain tumor, symptoms may appear that are similar to manifestations of mental disorders. For example, a person has hallucinations or hears voices. Sometimes he talks about being followed (delusions of persecution), becomes suspicious even of close people and pathologically jealous. Some have megalomania, and someone inadequately evaluates any criticism addressed to them.

7. Feeling tired

When a brain tumor occurs, the body spends a lot of resources to maintain its functions. Therefore, a person has a constant feeling of fatigue, which can be combined with insomnia. Habitual work quickly tires. It seems that there is not enough energy, and the arms and legs become heavy.

8. Mass Effect

This is the name given to a group of symptoms that indicate increased intracranial pressure. The fact is that the skull cannot be stretched, and the resulting tumor puts pressure on the nerve tissues, blood vessels, and ventricles of the brain. Of these, the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid, a fluid that circulates in the skull and spinal cord, is difficult. As a result, a person is disturbed:

• headache;
• visual impairment;
• vomiting;
• drowsiness;
• behavior change.

9. Focal symptoms

The tumor may be located in areas of the brain that are responsible for certain movements or functions of the body. Therefore, doctors separately distinguish focal symptoms. These include:

• buzzing or ringing in the ears;
• loss of muscle tone or paralysis in any part of the body;
• violation of coordination of movements;
• unsteady gait;
• inability to maintain body balance;
• double vision.

10. Endocrine disorders

If a tumor is formed from cells that perform an endocrine function, then a person will develop hormonal disorders. Most often they are characteristic of benign neoplasms of the pituitary gland. What the symptoms will be depends on whether there are more or less hormones.

If a person produces a lot of adrenocorticotropin, then there are signs of an endocrine disease – Cushing’s syndrome:

• Fat accumulates in the abdomen, and the arms and legs lose weight.
• The face becomes round.
• Blood pressure rises.
• Stretch marks and bruises appear on the skin, acne.
• Blood sugar rises.
• Loss of calcium increases, therefore osteoporosis develops.

If growth hormone becomes higher than normal, a person sweats more, complains of pain in the joints and in the heart. Facial features gradually coarsen, the nose and ears, as well as hands and feet, may increase.

With excessive synthesis of prolactin in women, menstruation completely disappears or becomes irregular, and milk is secreted from the mammary glands. In men, erection worsens, there is no desire for sex, breasts grow.

If the tumor secretes a lot of thyroid-stimulating hormone, then there are signs of hyperthyroidism. A person is easily irritated, sweats a lot, loses weight quickly and feels a rapid heartbeat even at rest.

What to do if you have symptoms of a brain tumor

The listed signs can speak not only about brain tumors, but also, for example, about a stroke. Therefore, self-diagnosis is not worth it. It is better to immediately contact a neurologist if you suspect a pathology.

Your doctor will perform a physical examination, blood tests, X-rays or an MRI of the brain in order to make an accurate diagnosis and, if necessary, decide on treatment.

Read also 🧐

• 15 Cancer Symptoms Women Shouldn’t Ignore
• 16 symptoms we don’t pay attention to, but in vain
• 10 early symptoms of dementia that should not be ignored
• 9 symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder that should not be ignored
• 11 unexpected allergy symptoms that should not be ignored

treatment, symptoms, tumor diagnosis – LISOD clinic in Kiev, Ukraine

Home
Cancer treatment

Brain cancer

A brain tumor is very different from other neoplasms. These differences are in histogenesis, clinical manifestations, treatment options. The specificity of brain tumors determines the presence of the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier limits the penetration of many substances (including drugs) from the bloodstream into the brain tissue. A brain tumor can occur at any age. Malignant astrocytic tumors such as anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme account for about 60% of all brain tumors and are classified as malignant gliomas. Astrocytoma is usually located in the white matter of the brain. Brain cancer is relatively rare – about 1.5% of all types of tumors.

Diagnosis

The basis for the presumptive diagnosis of a brain tumor and referring the patient for a consultation with an oncologist is the appearance and progressive increase in the severity of certain neurological symptoms. LISOD uses modern methods for diagnosing brain tumors.

Non-invasive methods

• Neurological examination.
• Pathopsychological study.
• Neuro-ophthalmological examination.
• Otoneurological examination.
• Computed tomography.
• Echoencephalography (ultrasound).
• Electroencephalography.

Invasive methods

• CSF examination: cerebrospinal fluid pressure, protein content in cerebrospinal fluid, cytological examination, cerebrospinal fluid cytoscopy, cerebrospinal fluid examination for B-glucuronidase activity, cerebrospinal fluid isoenzyme composition examination.
• CT with intravenous contrast
• Endoscopy (ventriculoscopy + surgeries)
• Immunohistochemical diagnostics
• Needle biopsy immediately before surgery for final diagnosis.

Treatment

The treatment of brain tumors is one of the most difficult tasks. Gliomas are treated with surgical removal, postoperative radiation therapy, and various chemotherapy regimens. Anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme are significantly more radio- and chemoresistant than other tumors.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of surgery, but it is not always possible to carry it out. Due to the lack of clear boundaries between the tumor and the medulla, macroscopically complete resection of malignant tumors can be performed using refined preoperative diagnostics of their distribution and location using modern diagnostic methods (CT, AH, preoperative tumor staining).

The effectiveness of the treatment of most malignant brain tumors is achieved through a combination of surgery, radiation (radiation therapy of brain tumors) and chemotherapy (chemotherapy of brain tumors) methods of treatment. For some tumors, the main treatments are brain radiation or chemotherapy for brain tumors. Metastatic brain tumors are malignant neoplasms that form in cancer cells that originate in different areas or organs of the body. Oncological diseases such as lung, breast, skin and kidney cancer are the most common cause of metastatic brain tumors. Treatment of brain metastases follows the rules for treating the type of cancer that gave rise to these metastases.

Symptoms

Depending on the location of the brain tumor and its size, brain cancer can cause a variety of symptoms. Clinical manifestations of brain tumors usually increase with the development of the disease. This can be expressed in an increase in focal, cerebral and general somatic symptoms. If the brain tumor is benign, the disease usually develops gradually, slowly and gently over several years. The development of a brain tumor can proceed latently for a long time, with periodic exacerbations of clinical manifestations. In malignant tumors, the disease usually begins acutely, sometimes stroke-like, like a vascular disease of the brain or infectious viral meningoencephalitis.

Headache is one of the main, frequent and early cerebral symptoms of developing tumors. The nature of the headache may depend on the location of the tumor and its histostructure.

As a general cerebral symptom vomiting is common and has a number of characteristic features: sudden, reflex, gushing character. The occurrence of vomiting does not depend on food intake, it often happens on an empty stomach and without prior nausea, belching and abdominal pain.

Dizziness occurs under the influence of an acute increase in intracranial and cerebrospinal fluid pressure. Usually, dizziness is accompanied by tinnitus, hearing loss, as well as headache, vomiting.

Mental symptoms occur gradually along with other cerebral symptoms as a result of an increasing increase in intracranial pressure, blood and lymph circulation disorders, hypoxia, cerebral edema and degeneration of the cellular structures of the cerebral cortex. Intoxication can also cause mental symptoms. The most typical mental disorders: stupor, weakening of attention, dulling of perception and memory, slowing down of associative processes, decrease in critical attitude towards oneself, one’s illness and others, general lethargy, indifference, lack of initiative.

There are also mental syndromes that are of topical diagnostic value.

With tumors of the frontal lobe:

• general lethargy, inertia, lack of initiative, apathy, decreased memory and intelligence;
• mental excitement, aggressiveness, which are replaced by complacency and euphoria;
• frivolity, uncriticality, odd behavior, untidiness with urine and feces.

For tumors of the temporal lobe: olfactory, gustatory and auditory hallucinations.

If the tumor is located at the junction of the temporal and occipital lobes: visual hallucinations.

If the parietal lobe is affected: pain in the extremities.

Meningeal symptoms may develop as a result of increased intracranial pressure, as well as due to local effects on the membranes of the brain. The epileptic syndrome often occurs in the early stages of the disease before the onset of intracranial hypertension (in 36.7% of cases it manifests itself in the first place).

Risk factors

Unfortunately, the causes of brain tumors are still unknown. A high probability, according to many researchers, can be given to traumatic brain injury, heredity and adverse environmental influences.

Questions and Answers

This section contains questions from patients and answers from our specialists. Each person’s question concerns a specific problem related to their disease. The patients are answered by Israeli clinical oncologists and LISOD Chief Physician, Dr. M. n., Professor Alla Vinnitskaya.

The answers of specialists are based on knowledge of the principles of evidence-based medicine and professional experience. The answers correspond solely to the information provided, are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice.

The main purpose of section is to provide information to the patient and family so that they can decide with their doctor about the type of treatment. The tactics of treatment offered to you may differ from the principles set forth in the answers of our specialists. Feel free to ask your doctor about the reasons for the differences. You must be sure that you are receiving the correct treatment.

Good afternoon doctor! Help! My 25-year-old brother underwent surgery in 2011 to remove a protoplasmic astrocytoma in the left temporal lobe of the brain. Discharged with the conclusion: CSF-hypertensive, convulsive syndrome. Right-sided pyramidal insufficiency. We do repeated MRI every year, there is a change in the tumor, signs of continued growth of the formation of the left fronto-high region, negative dynamics since 2013 towards the appearance of a cyst in the frontal region on the left. Convulsive and bouts of vomiting do not stop. She is taking carbomazepine as prescribed by her doctor. What kind of predictions can you make? We are confused and do not know what to do and how to act. Thanks a lot!

It is necessary to consult with neurosurgeons on the issue of repeated surgical intervention (even partial removal with a pronounced so-called mass effect) and, after a histological examination, decide on the need for additional oncological treatment (radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination thereof). If the operation is impossible in principle, a stereotactic biopsy of the tumor should be performed (it usually changes its nature over time – it becomes more aggressive) and then decide on the type of treatment.

Hello, can your clinic help us? My husband is 28 years old. He has a tumor in the brain, the diagnosis is as follows: a multinodular intracerebral glial tumor with spread to the chiasmal-sellar region, paraventricularly from both sides, atrophy of the optic nerves. He himself has been suffering from diabetes insipidus for 2 years. Two months ago, he began to experience the following symptoms: blurred vision, impaired memory and coordination, pain in the back and legs. In our hospital, we did an MRI, the conclusion: On a series of MRI scans obtained in the sagittal, axial and coronal projection in T1WI mode, a volumetric formation with dimensions of 39 is determined in the suprasellar regionx32x32 mm, unevenly intensively accumulating paramagnet, growing into the third and lateral ventricles.
The ventricles of the brain and subarachnoid spaces are enlarged. The ventricles of the brain are unevenly deformed. Median structures are not displaced. What do we have to do? Thank you

The main method of treating such tumors is surgical, followed by a decision on the need for radiation therapy or radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy in accordance with the histological diagnosis and the extent of the surgical intervention.
If the case is recognized as inoperable, a biopsy (preferably stereotactic) is performed, followed by a decision on conservative therapy (radiation +/- chemotherapy).

Hello, Doctor! My brother (27 years old) had a brain tumor removed in Odessa. At first they said that it was benign, after histology it turned out to be glioblastoma multiforme. Tell me, what are the predictions and what can be done in this case? Thank you!

Histological specimens should be reviewed (at this age, glioblastoma is a fairly rare disease) and a decision should be made on the need for preventive treatment (radiotherapy +/- chemotherapy or one of two options).