All About Brain Cancer

The brain has three major regions: the brainstem, midbrain and forebrain.

The brainstem is composed of the medulla, the part that controls breathing, blood pressure, heart rate and digestion, and the cerebellum which coordinates speech and muscle movement. It is the most primitive part of the brain, as it controls the most basic and essential functions in the body.

The midbrain contains the links between the brainstem and thalamus to transmit information, and also the hypothalamus to regulate action. The amygdala is associated with aggressive behavior. The hippocampus is associated with long-term memory, and amnesia is a result of damage in this part of the brain.

The forebrain develops into the cerebral cortex, and is associated with mind function such as reasoning, sensation and motion.

(source)

A research was done on how people deal with terminal brain cancer – points of view of both patient and their care givers. Interviews were done on seven patients who have terminal brain cancer, and 22 loved ones who are supporting and are serving as the patients’ care givers. The questions prepared aims to get a better understanding on what is important to the patients and their families when it comes to treatment options. The major themes that resulted from the interviews are as follows:

- brain cancer is a unique disease because it affects all aspects of one’s physical and psychological being.

(source)

Stress is the silent cause of brain cancer. If we want to care for our brain, we must reduce the stress in our lives by having a positive mental attitude, controlling our hot-headed temper and seeking for activities that will make us calm and relaxed at all times. If we are not careful, we can actually kill our good cells by being stressed.

One kind of stress is called acute stress, which is normal and short-lived. It is the one that you experience when a car suddenly pulls out in front of you and you have to hit your brakes. The long-term stress in our day-to-day lives is the one that can actually damage the brain.

This mechanism is being studied for it allows specific cancer cells from migrating into other organs causing a spread of the disease. Most cancer cells afflict a specific body part or organ comes in a specific form. One unique from the other but some instances such as that with breast cancer has them migrating into the bone, only to resurface years after successful treatment. This is why relapse is a common yet more deadlier recurrence of the disease for it seemingly learns the ropes of how it was killed, rendering the said method ineffective the next time round. Migration through the blood stream is the most likely culprit, using the body’s own blood circulation system to spread itself. The cancer cell then adapts to the new environment, inflicting the different cells, getting them to mutate as well. This “holy grail” of cancer progression would allow doctors to stem the spread of the disease thus stemming the spread. It would also allow a better understanding of the mechanisms at work, giving way to better treatment for future generations to use and benefit from.

Researchers at the famed Oxford University have discovered and have visual proof of how breast cancer cells migrate to the brain and induces them to mutate, themselves turning into cancerous cells themselves. Metastasis has long been known but proof of such a cell mechanism, wherein the cells of a cancer cell breaks out of the original cell, infects other healthy cells then turning them into cancerous cells themselves. This mechanism is the main reason why cancer becomes fatal, able to spread from one organ with a unique set of cells to another, as if there was no difference to their structure. This is why stem cell research, the body’s primal super cell which has the ability to turn into all the different cells in the body is so great for the ability of cancer cells to migrate and adapt to infect the thousands or so types of cells, a seemingly similar mechanism.

Scientists have been trying to find out why certain brain tumors react well to chemotherapy and others don’t, what do they find? Cancer stem cells of course, one of the super-cells of the human body that has already been responsible for some of the world’s most revolutionary treatments for our many diseases. They are capable of extreme re-generation and today with the data compiled by cancer researchers, they might be also responsible for the resistance to the effectivity of chemotherapy for certain forms of cancer. Cancer stem cells as they turn out are similar to regular cancer cells with one hideous twist, hey have the same super division capabilities of cancer cells. Read the rest of this entry »

The result of multi-disciplinary studies in NASA that has produced an electronic nose that is very reliable in monitoring air quality in the confined space of the space shuttle and the International Space Station where clean air is a must. The electronic nose has proven to be so successful that it is being studied for applications in health care, more distinctly the ability to sniff out cancer cells. These cells as they found, tends to differ in smell to regular healthy cells making the electronic appendage very useful for diagnosis greatly enhancing their ability to suggest the right treatment for the different types. Designed so sensitive, it is able to detect contaminants at a precise proportion fro one to ten thousand parts per million particles that it may have a nose for such use in cancer research. Read the rest of this entry »

Cancer researchers in Canada have identified the gene that is responsible for medulloblastoma which is considered to be the most common form of childhood brain cancer. They have successfully identified eight genes that have the ability to mutate bringing about brain cancer in younger people which can give them new avenues to pursue in childhood cancer treatment. The ability to properly target and prescribe the most effective treatment regimen is the aim and with these results, it has become more of a reality. The brains of children are still in the fast growing phase that if these genes mutated, would continue at an alarming rate that it turns into cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

Having a healthy brain is one way of preventing brain cancer. But how can we develop or maintain a healthy brain?
Exercising our body and being physically fit helps in developing brain function. Brain teasers, puzzles, riddles, trivia, games, and reading can stimulate our brain.
It is also important to interact with other people to keep our brains fit. Through communicating, our brains work by processing the information we share with other people.
Leading a healthy lifestyle by getting enough rest and sleep and maintaining a balanced diet is essential in keeping our brains healthy and working properly. Multivitamins and supplements also proves to be helpful in keeping a healthy brain and body. In contrast, smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs should be avoided.
Having a regular appointment with a doctor is equally important in order to keep track of our health.

This would surely get lawmakers on the uproar for scientific research has found that THC, or the active molecule of Cannabis Sativa (marijuana), the much debated drug to be effective at killing off brain tumor cancer cells. The study shows that in mice at least that have been infected with human brain cancer cells, the cells have been destroyed halting the progress of the disease. There have also been studies that the same component of marijuana has the ability to halt the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, preventing people form getting worse. Much is to be learned of such complex chemical chains that makes up THC for the banning of the plant and it’s seeds, classified as a dangerous drug makes this difficult.
There have been recent moves to legalize the drug as just another pill, but staunch opposition form traditional senators and congressmen see this as a threat to society. They are trying to follow the footsteps of some European countries that have actually legalized the selling and use of medical grade marijuana which is allowed for sufferers of chronic pain and terminal diseases.