Brain tumors in children are rare. Regardless of whether it is cancerous or not, a child with a brain tumor will develop a specific set of symptoms, some mental and emotional, others physical. Brain tumors can be removed and the prognosis can be good.
Brain Tumor Explained
A brain tumor is a growth on the brain. A teen who is developing a tumor on his brain will be able to tell his parents how he is feeling. For instance, he will be able to verbalize increased headaches. He will realize something is wrong, and because some of his symptoms can have a significant effect on his ability to participate in daily activities, his parents should be able to notice these symptoms as well. Some brain tumors can be easily reached during surgery and can be removed. Others, depending on where they are growing in the brain, may not be removable.
Benign or Malignant
A teen may have a tumor which is malignant (cancerous). If this is the case, she will have to have the tumor surgically removed. This is a major surgery in which a neurosurgeon will open her skull and, using CAT scans and MRI scans, will find and remove as much of the tumor as he can. It is vital that this be done correctly. If any tumor cells are left behind, they could grow into another tumor. After she recovers from her surgery, she will undergo chemotherapy, radiation or both procedures to ensure the cancerous cells have all been killed. If the tumor is benign, this means it is slow growing, easier to remove and not cancerous. Some benign brain tumors can change over to malignant tumors. It is not known why this happens.
Physical Symptoms
Physical symptoms include headaches, seizures, nausea and vomiting, trouble controlling some muscles, vision changes and speech problems. If the teen's tumor is pressing on an area of the brain which controls vision, he will experience blurred vision or double vision; he may experience a significant vision change such as blindness. Tumors can affect the speech center of his brain, as well. Depending on where the tumor is located, it can cause muscular control problems and seizures as well.
Mental Symptoms
Brain tumor symptoms aren't just physical. A teen with a brain tumor can experience symptoms such as depression and personality changes. If her parents notice that a normally happy, girl is now depressed, they should take her to her doctor immediately. He can order the tests necessary to either diagnose or rule out brain tumors.
Specific Tumors
Teens can develop two specific types of brain tumors. These are astrocytomas, which originate in the astrocyte cells in the brain. Ependyomas are tumors which begin to grow in the lining of the brain's ventricles. These ventricles in the brain act as the pathways for cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions the spine and brain; this fluid protects both structures from trauma.
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