Brain

It has been a hard day at school, and you press your forehead against the cold glass of the bus window wishing that you were already chillin' at home. The little kids in front of you are jumping on your last nerve, and you feel sorry for yourself because your grandma would not let you take her car in this morning to school. She said she would pick you up at noon for your appointment at the Indian Health Service where your doctor was going to try and find a cause for your migraine headaches. However, later she called the school to say your appointment was canceled and to take the bus home.

“Finally,” you think to yourself as the bus pulls up to your stop. You jump out trying to avoid the snow/mud so your new sneakers will stay white.You slowly make your way down the lane to your home. Lost in thought, you wonder about your headaches. The doctor said your migranes could be from anything; from an allergy to a brain tumor. But your mind quickly draws away from such bad things and you instead think about who is going to go with you to the spring dance next Saturday.
Photo by Robert Redbird

It is generally thought that our consciousness “lives” in our brains. In fact, it could also be said that all that we are, all that we think, and all that we do come from the brain. For instance, if someone were in a car accident and had to lose one of their kidneys, would they cease to be because they lost a part of their body? No, but if someone were in a car accident that made them brain dead, one could argue that they had lost all of that which makes them exist. In this respect, of all our organs, humans truly value the brain as being priceless.

The word cancer by itself is enough to invoke fear in any person. Imagine finding out that you or someone close to you had a brain tumor or brain cancer. Perhaps the reason brain tumors or brain cancer are such scary thoughts is because, not only is the brain priceless and irreplaceable, it is the final frontier, the organ that science knows the least about.

Despite the fact that there is much that is undiscovered about the brain, scientists have in recent years made great advancements in brain research with new technology. This newer technology allows scientists to better view the brain and possible abnormalities such as tumors or cancers.

By the time one reaches adulthood, they will have all the neurons (brain cells) that they will ever have for the rest of their life. These neuron cells do not reproduce if they are damaged or if they die. Cancer by definition occurs in cells that reproduce if they are damaged or if they die. So the question is, how does one get brain cancer in brain cells that do not reproduce?

In the brain, neurons are the main workers. Neurons are the brain cells that transmit thoughts and commands to your body, like, “Wake up and keep your eyes open so you can finish reading this article!” However, you have other cells in your brain that support the main workers (neurons). These other brain cells are called glial cells. They nourish the neurons and help them work more efficiently. You could even say they dress and feed the neurons to keep them healthy and alive. These supporting brain cells constantly reproduce themselves. Therefore, these are the cells can grow tumors and may become cancerous.

Each area of the brain has different brain functions, so a tumor or cancer can cause different symptoms depending on where it is located in the brain. There are many methods for finding tumors and/or cancer in the brain and treating them (see diagnosis & treatment).  Successful recovery rates (see brain cancer statistics) are different depending on the type of brain cancer and on the individual person themselves.  However, what is certain is that a strong family support network can greatly decrease stress for all concerned when the family can face the possibility of brain cancer together.

Your grandmother finally has taken enough pictures of you and your date, and you are now ready to head off to the dance. A bunch of couples pile into a friend’s family van and you all take off, relieved to be on the way. Of course running on Indian time you guys arrive fashionably late but still make it a night to remember and not a hint of a headache appeared that night.  You blissfully forget about your doctor's appointmnet.

Links
Brain Cells
Risk Factors/Symptoms
Diagnosis
Brain Tumors/Treatments
Statistics
Psycho social