Brain Cancer Risk Higher in Men

Like all organs in the body, cancer can develop in the brain as well. Speaking on the occasion of May-Brain Cancer Awareness Month, Associate Professor Dr. Selçuk Göçmen, Brain and Nerve Surgery Specialist at Anadolu Health Center, stated that more than 130 tumors have been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the brain today, and that these tumors are divided into benign and malignant categories. Associate Professor Dr. Selçuk Göçmen said, "Family factors (genetics), radiation, animal viruses, occupational groups working with phenol and benzene compounds, and smoking increase the risk of brain tumors." While brain tumors occur at a rate of 5-10 per 100,000 in European countries, this rate is 1-2 per 100,000 annually in far eastern countries. Emphasizing that brain tumors are more common in men than in women, Associate Professor Dr. Selçuk Göçmen, Brain and Nerve Surgery Specialist at Anadolu Health Center, said, "If any one or several of the following symptoms appear—headaches, vomiting, nausea, vision disorders, loss of consciousness, seizures (epilepsy), weakness in the arms and legs, irritability, loss of appetite, hearing loss, forgetfulness, speech and comprehension difficulties, inability to write, imbalance, and enlargement of the hands and feet—a doctor should be consulted."

Attention Should Also Be Paid to Benign Tumors

Noting that benign tumors can sometimes cause life-threatening conditions, Brain and Nerve Surgery Specialist Associate Professor Dr. Selçuk Göçmen stated, "Sometimes, by adhering to important brain blood vessels and nerve structures nearby, complete surgical removal may not be possible and they may recur. Rarely, some may transform into malignant tumors. Since they do not spread to the surrounding brain tissue (the tumor boundaries are clear), the chances of complete surgical removal are high."

Treatment of Malignant Brain Tumors: Surgery, Radiation and Drug Therapy

Brain and Nerve Surgery Specialist Associate Professor Dr. Selçuk Göçmen noted that most brain cancers are formed by glial tumors, which have the characteristic of uncontrolled abnormal proliferation, and stated, "These cells grow rapidly and extend into surrounding healthy tissue, and rarely can spread to the spinal cord and even other organs of the body. Their survival time depends on the pathology of the tumor, whether the patient receives radiation therapy and drug therapy (chemotherapy), and the patient's age." Noting that other malignant tumors may be metastatic tumors, that is, they may have jumped from another organ, Associate Professor Dr. Göçmen said, "These tumors are formed as a result of a tumor from another part of the body spreading to the brain. They most often originate from the lungs, breast, colon, stomach, skin, or prostate. Treatment options for malignant brain tumors are: surgery, biopsy, radiation therapy, and drug therapy."