IV. Nervous system tumors
A. Brain tumors
1. CNS brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children malignancies
2. there are two type of tumors infratentorial and supratentorial
3. Infratentorial tumors occur in the posterior part of the brain primarily in the cerebellum or brainstem and supratentorial lie within the midbrain structures
4. Brain tumors are directly related to their location and size in relation to signs and symptoms displayed
5. Most common symptoms of infratentorial brain tumors are headaches especially when waking to vomit not related to feeding and tumors in this area obstruct the flow of CSF causing ICP
6. Supratentorial tumor symptoms include seizure personality or behavioral changes visual disturbances and
hemiparesis 7. The diagnostic evaluation consists of CT scans that allow direct visualization MRI and LP is not recommended related to dangers of the presence of ICP 8. Therapeutic treatment consists of the use of surgery radiotherapy and chemotherapy all three may or may not be used depending on the tumor 9. Brain tumors are potentially fatal, and the nurse must assess for neurological dysfunctions vague cerebellar symptoms and establishing a baseline of data for pre and post-op comparing 10. The nurse should always remember when discussing information to families to deliver information and small amounts to allow the Family and Child to ask any additional questions 11. To prevent post-op complications the nurse must always incorporate frequent Vital Signs positioning fluid regulating and medication administration 12. Assessment of vital signs are to be taken every 15 to 30 minutes until the patient is stable temperature monitoring related to the hypothalamus and may need a cool blanket monitor for meningitis and respiration tract infection neuro checks are an essential aspect of care including pupil inspection level of Consciousness sleep patterns
After seeing his physician, he told him that he had some of the common symptoms of a brain tumor. Brain tumors have a variety of symptoms ranging from headache to stroke. Seizures may be the initial manifestation of a brain tumor, and eventually as many as 30% of patients with brain tumors will develop seizures. Gradual loss of movement or sensation in an arm or leg may occur. Unsteadiness or imbalance, and double vision may occur, especially if it is associated with headache.
Snell, Richard S: Clinical Neuroanatomy for Medical Students. Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, 1957, pp. 220--222.
Glioblastomas (GBM) are tumors that arise from the supportive tissues of the brain. These supportive tissues are composed of astrocytes, star-shaped glial cells that play a very important role in neural functioning. Glioblastomas are highly malignant because astrocytes reproduce quickly and are supported by a large network of blood vessels. Although they are generally found in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain, glioblastomas can be found anywhere in the brain or spinal cord. The tumors come from normal brain cells, so it is easy for them to invade and live within normal brain tissue. However, glioblastoma rarely spreads elsewhere in the body. (1)
This lab help us to be more familiarize with dimentional structure of braine.We challenged to our operation of the brain and we can see all the organs that located to the
The distribution of the type of brain and CNS tumors is shown in Figure 2.
The most common symptoms of mesothelioma are difficulty in breathing, chest pain, or both. Occasionally, a patient may not have mesothelioma symptoms at diagnosis. Other less common symptoms include weight loss, fever, night sweats, cough, and a general feeling of not being well. Mesothelioma symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include swelling, pain due to accumulation of fluid in the abdomen cavity, weight loss, and a mass in the abdomen. Other mesothelioma symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, lowered red blood cell count, and fever.
There are two types of Malignant Brain Tumors: Primary, and Secondary (Metastatic). Primary Brain Tumors begin in the brain, or in nearby tissues such as the meninges, cranial nerves, pituitary gland, or pineal gland. A Primary Brain Tumor begins from a mutation in the DNA. Metastatic Brain Tumors are more common, and occur from having had cancer in another part of the body, which spread to the brain.
Symptoms women often start noticing that indicate the possibility of having a cancerous tumor in the breast include a lump on the underarm or armpit, thickening of the nipple, fluid (not milk) leaking from the nipple, change in the size of the nipple or breast, changes of color, shape or texture of the nipple or the areola, and unusual pain in the breast or in the armpit (Stephan., 2010). These are the symptoms women usually start noticing before go to the doctor to ge...
I was a child when my aunt got sick, and my fascination about the field of medicine began. She had brain cancer. While I watched the disease progress I was flooded, not only with sadness and grief, but with questions. With two psychologists for parents I had a lot of support and understanding of my feelings, but I was left curious about the medical aspect of the disease and why there was no cure. The notion that the brain could change someone’s entire personality and physical function was amazing to me. Spending a lot of time in hospitals, I observed so much about the impact of a cancer diagnosis on patients and their families, and about what happens to people through the disease process. I noticed the enormous influence that the medical professional’s
... the white matter of the brain. It is also important in determining pathological changes in early onset.
Some symptoms for colon cancer are, change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation, rectum bleeding or blood in your stool, constant abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain, a feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely, weakness or tiredness, and or unexplained weight loss. Many people with colon cancer experience no signs of sickness in the early stages of the disease. When signs of sickness appear, they'll likely differ, depending on the cancer's size and location in the large intestine.
According to SEER Statistics, 23,380 people are estimated to get a brain or nervous system cancer diagnosis. Out of those people, 14,320 people are estimated to die from their brain or nervous system cancer diagnosis (National Cancer Institute). Cancer is a type of dangerous tumor, or a buildup of extra cells that form a mass of tissue, that can be life threatening (National Cancer Institute). The term for a tumor that is cancerous is a malignat tumor, whereas a benign tumor does not contain cancer cells (National Cancer Institute). According to the National Cancer Institute, the causes of brain cancer are unknown, but risk factors include family history and excessive radiaton exposure. Although they are not always due to a brain tumor, comon symptoms include headaches, nausea, speech, hearing, vision, and mood changes, problems with balance and mamories, seizures, and numbness in arms and legs (National Cancer Institute). MRI and CT scans as well as surgical biposies (or the removal of part of the tumor to be examined) are used to diagnose brain cancer (National Cancer Institute). Different types of treatment options include radiation therapy, surgery to remove the tumor, and chemotherapy. According to Charles Davis, MD, PhD and Nitin Tandon, MD of WebMD.com, chemotherapy is “ the use of powerful drugs to kill tumor cells”. There are a few different types of chemotherapy, but all of which bring out the same kinds of side effects. Although the physical side effects of chemotherapy are commonly known, few people know of the emotional toll chemotherapy can take on a patient and his or her family as they go though this process.
Obstructions such as tumors can interrupt normal brain activity, leading to deficits of normal reasoning, motor control, or consciousness. Many of the signs of neural damage are easily recognizable by an outside observer, but since the actual cause of these problems are internal, the symptoms can be vague. The real deficits can affect the brain’s anatomy, or the way signals are processed. A physician can only determine the real cause by examining the brain internally to find irregularities, either in structure or in functioning.
How does one see the symptoms for childhood cancer? First one must know that there are many different types. There are forty different types of children’s cancer, including: Leukemia, Lymphoma, Sarcomas, cancers of the nervous system, liver cancers, kidney cancer, and more. Out of these cancers, the two most common childhood cancers are Leukemia, and brain tumors. What is leukemia? It is a cancer in which the bone marrow and other organs that produce blood produce and increased amount of immature or abnormal white blood cells. The symptoms of leukemia are paleness, excessive bruising, pain in the joints, and fatigue. Brain tumors are formed when a massive amount of cells are produced on the brain. The symptoms for this are frequent headaches, vomiting, seizures, decreased coordination, weakness, and problems concerning vision.
The patient has experienced fever, chills on body, headaches and anorexia as well as sweating especially during the night. The patient has also been feeling fatigued, muscle aches and nausea as well as vomiting especially after eating (WHO, 2010, p. 117). These symptoms started forty eight hours ago, and the patient has not taken any medication except for some aspirin.