An abnormal cell development in the brain is called a brain tumour. These tumours can originate from the brain tissue itself (primary tumours) or spread to other parts of the body (metastatic tumours), and they can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Every year, a growing number of cases of brain tumours affecting persons of all ages are reported in our nation. According to data from 2020, brain tumours were the 10th most prevalent type of tumour among Indians. Despite the fact that brain tumours have no known origin, gender, or age range, patients still have hope because medical professionals have achieved significant advancements in the treatment of brain tumours that have a lower risk of morbidity and death.
According to the International Association of Cancer Registries (IARC), over 28,000 instances of brain tumours are reported in India annually, and the disease is thought to be the cause of over 24,000 deaths. Between 40,000 and 50,000 persons are diagnosed with brain tumours each year, with 20% of those cases involving children.
Symptoms of brain tumours
Dr. Aditya Gupta, Director of Neurosurgery and Cyberknife centre at Artemis Hospital Gurugram says, “A brain tumour' location, size, and growing pace can all affect its symptoms. Headaches, seizures, changes in mental function, such as memory issues, disorientation, trouble focusing, or behavioural or personality abnormalities, are a few typical symptoms. issues with vision, such as double or blurred vision, numbness or weakness on one side of the face or body, issues with balance, nausea, and vomiting.”
Causes of brain tumours
Although the exact causes of brain tumours frequently remain unknown, a number of factors, including genetics, radiation exposure, and environmental factors, may raise the risk of getting one.
Link between Mobile phone usage and brain tumours
The association between mobile phone use and brain tumors has been a matter of great interest globally. There is a strong suspicion on scientific grounds that such an association should exist, and the typical model chosen has been a malignant glioma of the temporal lobe, the area of the brain closest to mobile phone exposure. A recent Australian study that looked at this over a 3 decade period from 1982 to 2013 unfortunately could not find any evidence of higher incidence of this tumour after 2003 (the era of increasing mobile phone usage).
“While no specific study or research has shown that the electromagnetic radiation from cell phones causes brain tumours, using cell phones for extended periods of time undoubtedly has negative impacts on our general health. School children are using more gadgets, and playing particular video games can cause them to think furiously. This can also have an impact on their eyes,” says Dr. Gupta.
Any chronic symptom, such as repeated headaches that do not go away with medicine, chronic blurred vision, whistling in the ears, or dizziness or fainting, should be taken seriously by the public. Considering that these symptoms could be the first signs of a brain tumour, it's best to rule them out.
