Brain Metastasis

Most cancers have a tendency to spread to other organs, including the brain. Among most common cancers that metastasize to brain are:

• Breast Cancer

• Lung cancer

• Ovarian Cancer

• Kidney Cancer

• Malignant Melanoma

• Esophageal Cancer

• Head and Neck Cancers

• Testis Cancer

• Choriocarcinoma

• Prostate cancer

• Bone cancers

• Soft tissue sarcomas

Symptoms:

Symptoms associated with brain metastasis are:

• Headache

• Nausea/vomiting

• Seizures

• Altered mental status

• Altered speech

• Visual problems

• Paralysis

Diagnosis:

A CT scan or MRI of the brain can establish a diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is established, treatment should be initiated promptly.

Treatment:

The majority of patients are treated with the following remedies:

• Steroids to reduce the swelling of the brain

• Anti seizure medicines to prevent seizure

• Radiation therapy to shrink the tumor

• Surgery in selected patients to remove the tumor from the brain.

Response to treatment depends on a patient's overall condition and the type and extent of the underlying cancer.