| Brain tumor is a leading cause of tumor death, which | | | | involves removing as much of the tumor as possible |
| has poorer survival rates than breast cancer, benign | | | | while trying to minimize damage to healthy tissue. |
| or malignant alike. | | | | Some tumors can be removed completely, while |
| A traditional Chinese drink has been proved to be an | | | | others can be removed only partially or not all. If a |
| effective treatment in inhibiting brain tumor growth. | | | | tumor is slow-growing, doctors may not operate |
| For thousands of years, two plant fruits, lycium | | | | immediately, but take a watch-and-wait approach. |
| barbarum and ligustrum lucidum, have been taken as | | | | The first approach employs natural proteins, called |
| drinks in many Chinese' daily lives. Chinese clinical | | | | interferons, which are created by the immune |
| studies have proved the ingredients in these two | | | | system and are toxic to many different types of |
| plant fruits are effective in inhibiting brain tumor | | | | tumor cells. Lymphocytes, are cells that are able to |
| growth. | | | | fight cancer and can be grown in a laboratory and |
| The most common primary brain tumors are gliomas, | | | | injected directly back into the tumor, to increase the |
| meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, vestibular | | | | body’s immune response. Lastly, a tumor vaccine |
| schwannomas, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors | | | | can be created from brain tumor cells that are |
| (medulloblastomas). The term glioma includes | | | | removed, modified and then transferred back to the |
| astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas, | | | | patient. A tumor vaccine can create a strong immune |
| and choroid plexus papillomas. | | | | system response against the tumor. |
| Adult brain tumor is diagnosed and removed in | | | | Chemotherapy, the use of medications to treat |
| surgery. If a brain tumor is suspected, a biopsy is | | | | cancer, has played a major role in cancer treatment |
| done by removing part of the skull and using a | | | | for half a century. Years of testing and research |
| needle to remove a sample of the brain tissue. A | | | | have proven chemotherapy to be effective and |
| pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to | | | | capable of prolonging life, reducing cancer-related |
| look for cancer cells. If cancer cells are found, the | | | | symptoms such as pain, and in some instances curing |
| doctor will remove as much tumor as safely possible | | | | cancer. Depending on a patient's situation, |
| during the same surgery. An MRI may then be done | | | | chemotherapy may be the only treatment given, or |
| to determine if any cancer cells remain after surgery. | | | | it may be used in combination with surgery, radiation |
| Tests are also done to find out the grade of the | | | | therapy or other therapies. |
| tumor. | | | | Brain tumors can arise either from the brain itself |
| Brain tumors typically are categorized as either | | | | (primary brain tumors: astrocytoma, glioblastoma, |
| primary or secondary. Primary brain tumors originate | | | | oligodendroglioma, ependymoma), or its coverings |
| in your brain and can be noncancerous (benign) or | | | | (meningiomas, pituitary tumors, pineal tumors), or the |
| cancerous (malignant). Secondary brain tumors result | | | | nerves at the base of the brain (acoustic neuromas, |
| from cancer that began elsewhere and spread to | | | | schwannomas), or even from outside the brain |
| your brain. Primary brain tumors are less common | | | | (metastatic brain tumors) . This last case occurs |
| than secondary brain tumors. | | | | when cancer cells travel through the bloodstream and |
| Surgery is the mainstay of brain tumor treatment. It | | | | lodge in the brain. |