Acıbadem Dr. Sinasi Can (Kadıköy) Hospital Brain and Nerve Surgery Specialist Assoc. Dr. Yaşar Bayri answered the 5 most frequently asked questions about brain tumors.
Explaining the main symptoms of brain tumors, Brain and Nerve Surgery Specialist Assoc. Dr. Yaşar Bayri said, “Actually, the symptoms of brain tumors are not unique. Headache, the most well-known symptom, is a complaint that can occur in many diseases. In recurrent, persistent headache, the patient is asked 'Is there a pathology in the brain?' it should be questioned. Tumors may give symptoms of whichever part of the brain they are located. They create this either because they come directly from that area or by growing and pressing. In other words, the patient may have loss of strength, speech disorders, vision problems, personality changes, memory defects, epileptic seizures, nausea-vomiting and headache due to increased intracranial pressure. Hormone-secreting tumors can cause hormonal imbalances and related complaints may arise. he said.
In the diagnosis of brain tumor, the patient has some examination findings suggesting whether there is a problem in the skull, but this region must be imaged for a definitive diagnosis, said Assoc. Dr. Yaşar Bayri said, “This can be possible by taking brain tomography and brain MRI. In particular, MRI is the method of first choice in terms of showing some changes in the location of the tumor and whether it may be benign or malignant. It guides not only the diagnosis but also the surgery to be performed.” said.
When asked what methods are used in the treatment of brain tumors, Assoc. Dr. Bayri said that surgical methods are used to definitively diagnose what type of tumor the mass is and remove it, that is, patients are usually operated on. Assoc. Dr. Yaşar Bayri said, “However, if the tumor is widespread or located in an area that is too risky to be removed, then the diagnosis can be made by biopsy. Depending on the character of the tumor to appear, the patient may need to receive additional radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In addition, if the size is appropriate in some tumor types, then tumor growth can be controlled by irradiation with the Gamma Knife method, which is also called direct focused irradiation without surgery.” he said.
Assoc. Dr. Yaşar Bayri answered the question of whether there is a relationship between cell phone use and brain tumors as follows:
“There are serious allegations about this. Scientific studies have not been able to prove that there is a clear link between cell phone use and brain tumor formation. However, it is controversial that the studies conducted do not include appropriate groups. There are observational findings that brain tumor formation increases with the duration of mobile phone use. It is reported that brain tumors are much more common in stockbrokers who talk on cell phones for hours in Wall Street, the financial center of the USA. There are also claims that cell phone signals cause breaks in the DNA helix. Although it is not definitely associated with the tumor, it is almost certain that using a cell phone for a long time at least causes brain fatigue. It can also lead to conditions such as headaches, sleep disturbance, memory impairment, intense stress and fatigue, concentration impairment and distraction.
When asked whether there was an increase in brain tumors during the Covid-19 period, Assoc. Dr. Yaşar Bayri said, “It may be too early to tell. It has been determined that the nervous system is also involved with Covid-19, and even the complaint of loss of smell, which is one of the most obvious findings, occurs due to the involvement of the olfactory nerve, and some other neurological findings and symptoms occur. However, we cannot say that there is an increase in brain tumor formation due to Covid-19 infection, but viruses can cause mutations in cells and accumulation of mutations can cause the cell to multiply at an abnormal rate and change its character, causing it to turn into a tumor. Many people wonder whether there is an increase in brain tumor rates due to Covid-19 or, according to some claims, vaccines. It will only be possible to say this in the following years.” he said.
Be the first to comment