Primary brain cancer has the growth contained within the brain and has not resulted from sickness in another part of the body. Metastatic brain cancer on the other hand, has cancer cells from other organs/parts of the body traveling through any one body’s transport system. Once in the brain, it anchors itself and grows leading to cancer.

A regular cup of coffee contains a number of antioxidants that are good for health. Antioxidants are chemical compounds present in foods that help to shield the body from various toxins and can even be preventative in the development of cancer in the body. Most antioxidants are derived from plants, coffee being one of them. Research done has shown that there are many antioxidant benefits of coffee. In these research studies conducted by various universities, however, there was no apparent relation found between the consumption of coffee and cancer development in a person; many believe that the amount of coffee that would need to be consumed in order to reap the anti-cancer benefits of the antioxidants found in coffee is just too high. It has been shown; however, that drinking coffee in moderation can decrease risk of cancer development for coffee drinkers as compared to non-coffee drinkers. Here are some of the cancers that have a decreased risk for coffee drinkers:

Breast Cancer: Research from Malamo University in Sweden and The Harvard School of Public Health in Boston have shown that women who drank two or more cups of coffee a day were at A lesser risk of cancer as compared to women who drank no coffee at all. The cancer preventing properties of coffee have been attributed to caffeine present in the coffee that modifies the carcinogenic components of female sex hormone Estrogen. Skin Cancer: A cup of coffee after a walk in the sun can help reduce the risk of skin cancer. According to a study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, coffee consumption can cut the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer by 35%. The antioxidants present in coffee have a protective effect on the DNA synthesis, and this can help decrease the cell division of the cells. Liver Cancer: Coffee drinking has been shown to have a preventive effect on cirrhosis which is the starting stage for liver cancer compared to non-coffee drinkers, those who drank up to 1-2 cups of coffee daily had a 50% less risk of first stage liver cancer. Caffeine present in coffee is found to be the main reason for coffee’s effect on liver cancer. Colon Cancer: Drinking more than five cups of coffee a day can lower the risk of colorectal cancer. Along with increasing the movement of food in the bowels, coffee is believed to help reduce the production of bile acids that are known to increase the threat of bowel cancer. Antioxidants present in coffee also play a significant role in preventing cell damage.

The numerous benefits of drinking coffee make it an ideal drink for moderate consumption, and a cup or two of coffee will surely go a long way in maintaining a good health. You can find out more about the health benefits of coffee and various recipes for different coffee drinks at http://www.Melslife.com

Log on now!

Continuous research on brain tumor led to a discovery that cancer stem cells that cause the tumor to develop are living within blood vessels in the brain. Stem cells have the ability to reproduce. The aim is to destroy the cancer stem cells to prevent further production of the damaging cells. The blood vessels where the cancer stem cells reside will be targeted. A new drug developed for this purpose is being tested on a brain cancer patient. If the treatment becomes a success, other forms of cancer that are caused by cancer stem cells may also be treated using the same principles.

Aside from nicotine, there are 4,000 other compounds that are present in a cigarette. Many of these compounds are found to be cancer-causing substances. It is true that not all smokers will have cancer but it will greatly increase their chance of getting one.

The exact cause of most brain tumors is unknown, as with tumors in other parts of the body. A lot of factors have been linked to brain cancer, like genetic factors, radiation, various toxins in the environmental, and cigarette smoking. In most cases, however, no clear cause can be shown.

Here are some factors that have been proposed to be possible risk factors for primary brain tumors. It is not sure however whether these factors really increase the risk of a brain tumor: radiation of the head; a genetic risk that is inherited, and HIV infection.

Seek medical attention when the following symptoms are felt: unexplained and persistent vomiting; unexplained blurring of vision, especially on one side; double vision; increased sleepiness or lethargy, new seizures; new pattern or type of headaches.

The most famous brain cancer treatment is chemotherapy. It involves the use of drugs, which may be given through injection or taken orally, to kill the cancer cells. Sometimes, the surgeon implants medicated wafer with chemotherapy drugs during surgery. After removing the tumor and closing the surgery wound, the wafer will melt and release poison to the surrounding tissues to kill more cancer cells that may be left during the operation.

Some side effects may include nausea and vomiting, fever and chills, weakness and loss of appetite. The treatment is spaced and scheduled at regular intervals to allow the patient time to recover.

The brain is where thought is processed into signals, the signals travel through the nervous system and reaches the rest of the body, and these body parts respond to the signal by moving or producing certain chemicals. Our five senses receive signals from the environment and the brain processes these signals into various kinds of taste, smell, colors or figures, temperature or pressure, and sound.

Instead of CT scan, the MRI scan is used for suspected brain tumors because MRI has a higher sensitivity for detecting the presence of, or changes within, a tumor. Most institutions, though still use the CT scan as the first diagnostic test.

Skull x-rays are not any more widely used to diagnose brain cancer.

You will be referred to a specialist in brain surgery if your scans indicate the presence of a brain tumor. You should also be referred to a specialist in brain tumors (neuro-oncologist).

Next step is to confirm that you have a cancer. A biopsy (a small sample of the tumor) is taken to identify the type of tumor. The most widely used technique for obtaining a biopsy is surgery, in which the skull is opened. The intention is to remove the whole tumor if possible. A biopsy is then taken from the tumor.

If the surgeon is not able to remove the whole tumor, the surgeon takes a small piece of the tumor.

There are some cases when it is possible to collect a biopsy without the need to open the skull. Using CT or MRI scans while the head is held still in a frame, the exact location of the tumor is determined stereotactically. A small hole is then made in the skull and a needle guided through the hole to the tumor. The needle collects the biopsy and is removed. This is called stereotaxis, or stereotactic biopsy.

The biopsy is examined under a microscope by a pathologist–a physician who specializes in diagnosing diseases by looking at tissues and cells.

When tumors are found in your brain, they can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumor has no cancer cells while malignant tumor has cancer cells that grow very quickly.

Some of the symptoms of brain tumors are the following:

* Worse headaches in the morning
* Nausea and vomiting
* Significant changes in the ability to see, talk or hear
* Walking or balancing problems
* Memory or thinking problems
* Twitching or jerking of the muscle
* Numbness or tingling sensation in arms or legs.

Brain cancers can be either Glioma or Meningioma. It is considered to be primary when it starts in the brain and metastatic if it starts from the other parts of the body and moves into the brain.