Detecting Brain Tumors Using A Biopsy

These cases generate up to 2% of cancer deaths, which represents around 100,000 deaths.

According to the data collected, in the United States, the average survival rate for brain tumors is 3 to 27 months, once the metastases start to proliferate or the carcinogenic cells spread to other areas.

In addition, these brain tumors are 10 times more likely to spread to other vital organs. This means that the treatments are not always adequate and the chances of finding the right one are slimmer.

This makes us assess the importance of the problem we are facing and the interest of this discovery.

Now it is possible to detect brain tumors with a simple lumbar puncture.

The hypothesis verified during the study

The liquid biopsy method is widely used in metastatic colon tumors, and in breast and lung cancer. Until now, she had not had success with brain tumors.

The main reason is that the levels of tumor DNA present in this type of case are very low in the plasma.

However, this team claimed that since the central nervous system has its own circulating fluid circuit, which flows through the marrow and brain,  this cerebrospinal fluid could be an important indicator of tumor cells. Indeed, this one is in direct contact with them.

Current study techniques are very risky  (they involve puncturing the skull and making a lesion in an “indeterminate” area of ​​the brain to extract the cancerous tissue).

This is why this discovery constitutes a great scientific breakthrough in both the detection and treatment of brain tumors.

The red flags that should push us to go to the doctor

You should know that there are certain signals that we must pay attention to because they indicate to us a malfunction in our brain.

As a first step, we need to know that the symptoms of brain tumors can be general (caused by the pressure of the tumor in the brain or in the spinal cord) or specific (caused by the interruption of the normal functioning of the brain or the brain).  spinal cord ).

Brain tumors usually go undiagnosed until symptoms start.

See a doctor when the following signs and symptoms multiply:

General symptoms

• The headaches continued and worsening the early hours of the morning or when the person is lying.

• Confused morale, strong emotional instability, emotional indifference, slowness of thought and difficulty facing problems with which we are however accustomed.

• Signs of intracranial hypertension (dull pain, blurred vision, disturbances of consciousness, etc.)

Specific symptoms and depending on the location of the tumor

• Partial motor seizures.

• Paralysis (transient or incomplete paralysis).

• Aphasias (problems speaking).

• Apraxias (problems in making certain sequences of movements).

• Agnosias (problems detecting the usual use of objects).

• Campimetry (visual field).

NOTE: This does not mean that these symptoms are synonymous with brain tumors. On the other hand, these are warning signs for which a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.

This type of tumor is treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery.

Be careful, faced with the slightest alarm signal, you must consult a doctor and inform him of what you are feeling.

Thanks to early detection, we can start appropriate treatment and take care of our health.