Brain and Spinl Cord Cancer
Cancer is a group of many related diseases. All forms of cancer involve out-of-control growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cancer cells continue to grow and divide, and can spread to other parts of the body. These cells accumulate and form tumors. They may compress, invade, and destroy normal tissue. If cells break away from a tumor, they can travel through the bloodstream, or the lymph system to other areas of the body. There, they may settle and form "colony" tumors. In their new location, the cancer cells continue growing. The spread of a tumor to a new site is called metastasis. Leukemia, a form of cancer, does not usually form a tumor. Instead, these cancer cells involve the blood and blood-forming organs (bone marrow, lymphatic system, and spleen). They circulate through other tissues where they can accumulate. Cancer is classified by the part of the body in which it began, and by its appearance under a microscope. Different types of cancer vary in their rates of growth, patterns of spread, and responses to different types of treatment. A symptom is an indication of disease, illness, injury, or that something is not
right in the body. Symptoms can be felt or noticed by a patient, but usually not easily observed by anyone else. There are many things that can be done to detect brain and spinal cord cancer. There are physical examinations to evaluate brain function. If any physician suspects a problem the patient may go to see a neurologist. If a neurologist sees a problem, the patient may be sent to a neurosurgeon. There are also imaging studies of the brain that can be performed without surgery. One of these is called an MRI. Some other options are Biopsies which are used for a complete diagnosis. One of the last options is a Lumbar Puncture where they test the cerebrospinal fluid to look for cancer cells. A patient's symptoms depends on the precise location of the tumor within the central nervous system. One main symptom is a disruption of functions between the brain and body. If the tumor is in the Cerebral Hemisphere, people may have seizures, difficulty with speech or language, depression, change in personality, paralysis in one side of the body, and changes in vision, hearing and sensation. If a tumor is in the Basal Ganglia, which controls muscle movement, it will cause abnormal muscle movement and positioning. A tumor in the Cerebellum will cause lack of coordination of walking, difficulty with fine movements of the arms and legs, and changes in rhythm of speech. Tumors on the brain stem will cause weakness, stiff muscles, or other problems with fine movemen
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 998
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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