Brain Metastasis

When cancer cells spread from their original site to the brain, they are brain metastases. Almost any form of cancer can apply to the brain, but lung, breast, colon, kidney, and melanoma are the most likely to do so.

The brain can be affected by a single tumor or many tumors.

Brain metastases can cause a variety of signs and symptoms depending on the location, size, and rate of growth of the metastatic tumors.

• A brain metastasis may present with the following symptoms:
• Headache, sometimes associated with nausea and vomiting
• Changes in mental health, such as memory problems
• Seizures
• Numbness or weakness on one side of the body

Whenever cancer cells spread outside their original site, they cause brain metastases. Metastasis spreads cells from the bloodstream or lymphatic system to the brain and their subsequent growth.

Primary cancers are metastatic cancers that spread from their original sites. It is called metastatic breast cancer, not brain cancer, when cancer spreads from the breast to the brain.

The brain can become infected with any cancer, but certain types of cancer are more likely to cause brain metastases, such as:

• Cancer of the lung
• Having a breast cancer
• Cancer of the colon
• Having a kidney cancer
• Melanoma

Your doctor may recommend several tests and procedures if you are suspected of having brain metastases.

• An examination of the nervous system.
• Tests of imaging.
• Several specialized M.R.I. scan components may evaluate the tumor and plan treatment. These include functional M.R.I., perfusion M.R.I., and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
• In addition to C.T. and P.E.T., other imaging procedures include computerized tomography (C.T.) and positron emission tomography (P.E.T.). If your primary tumor is unknown, a chest C.T. scan may be performed to determine whether lung cancer is present.
• An abnormal tissue sample is collected and tested (biopsy).
• The biopsy sample is then examined under a microscope to determine if it is malignant (cancerous) or benign (benign) and if the cells are metastatic or are the result of a primary tumor. Obtaining this information is crucial for establishing a diagnosis, determining a prognosis, and guiding treatment.

Symptoms of brain metastases can be eased, tumor growth slowed, and life extended with treatment. It is common for brain metastases to recur after treatment, so your doctor will recommend close monitoring after treatment.

A person with brain metastasis has many treatment options, such as medication, surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, whole-brain radiation therapy, or a combination. Drug treatment may be considered in some instances of brain metastases.

Your treatment options will vary based on your signs and symptoms, overall health, and preferences, as well as the tumors’ type, size, number, and location. Discuss your treatment goals with your doctor.

The use of medications can help you manage the signs and symptoms of brain metastases and improve your quality of life. These medications may include:

• The use of steroids.It may be necessary to use high doses of corticosteroids to reduce signs and symptoms associated with brain metastases.
• The use of anti-seizure drugs. You may be prescribed medicine to prevent seizures if you experience a stroke.

A surgeon will attempt to remove as much cancer as possible if surgery is an option for you and your brain metastases are located in areas that allow for surgery. You may be able to reduce your symptoms and signs even after a portion of the tumor has been removed.

Brain metastases may cause neurologic deficits, infection, and bleeding during surgery to remove them. Depending on the tumors within the brain, you may also be at risk for other complications.

A brain tumor may develop in the areas of the brain that are responsible for controlling motor skills, speech, vision, and thinking so rehabilitation may be an essential part of recovery. Your physician may recommend the following services:

• It is possible to regain lost motor skills and muscle strength through physical therapy.
• Following a brain tumor or other illness, occupational therapy may assist you in returning to your normal daily activities, including work.
• It may be beneficial for you to receive speech therapy with a speech pathologist if you have difficulties speaking.

Open a pop-up window for stereotactic radiosurgery of brain metastasis

In radiation therapy, cancer cells are killed by high-energy beams, such as X-rays and protons. Radiation therapy may be used in the treatment of brain metastases using one or both of the following methods:

• Radiation of the brain as a whole. Whole-brain radiation is a method of killing tumor cells by applying radiation to the entire brain. Radiation to the whole brain typically requires 10 to 15 treatments over two to three weeks.

• There may be side effects such as fatigue, nausea, and hair loss. It is known that the long-term effects of whole-brain radiation may lead to cognitive decline.
• Radiation therapy with stereotactic precision. S.R.S. is a type of radiosurgery in which the radiation beams are relatively weak. Still, the point where the beams meet – the brain tumor – receives considerable radiation from killing the tumor cells. Typically, S.R.S. is performed in a single session, and doctors can treat multiple tumors simultaneously.
• There may be side effects such as nausea, headaches, seizures, dizziness, or vertigo. Compared to whole-brain radiation, S.R.S. is believed to be less likely to cause long-term cognitive decline.

Recently, doctors and scientists have made significant discoveries about whole-brain radiation, stereotactic radiosurgery, and how these methods affect people’s quality of life, cognitive ability, and survival. A doctor and you will consider many factors when deciding which radiation therapy to use, including the other treatment you receive and the risk of cancer recurrence after treatment.

Your treatment team may suggest medications to control your brain metastasis in certain circumstances. The effectiveness of medicines will depend on where your cancer began and your event. Possible options include:

• Treatment with chemotherapy. During chemotherapy, drugs kill rapidly growing cells in the body, including cancer cells.
• They targeted therapy drugs. This type of treatment focuses on specific abnormalities present within cancerous cells. Cancer cells can be killed by targeted drug treatments that block these abnormalities.

The immunotherapy. The immune system is used to combat cancer. As a result of the cancer cells producing proteins that help them hide from the immune system cells, the body’s disease-fighting immune system may fail to attack your cancer. Immunotherapy interferes with that process and allows the immune system to attack your cancer.