CANCER is one of the biggest enemies in human life and the commonest cause of death. In today’s current rate it is estimated that five in fifteen persons will develop Cancer during their lifespan.

The word cancer has been derived from ‘CANCRUM’ which means ‘CRAB’,  and it is said to have been applied to such tumors because the swollen veins around them resemble the limbs of a crab.

It is believed different mechanism are involved in the transformation of a normal cell to a cancerous cell. Thus, cancer is regarded as ill genes, which may arise due to the error in DNA replication.

When I specifically talk about my expertise as a Neurosurgeon, I have to deal with many cases related to a Brain tumor. A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells from within the brain. To add further to this, there are mainly two types of a tumor: malignant or cancerous tumors and benign tumors.

Cancerous tumors can be divided into primary tumors and secondary tumors.

A primary brain tumor is described as a low grade or a high-grade tumor. A low-grade tumor generally grows slowly which can turn into a high-grade tumor. A high-grade tumor is more likely to grow faster. A secondary brain tumor is a cancerous tumor that develops in another part of the body, such as the breast, lung, or colon, and then spread to the brain.

The symptoms of primary and secondary cancers are similar. Some of the following symptoms are most common like a headache, weakness, clumsiness, difficulty in walking, seizures. Other nonspecific symptoms and signs include altered mental status, nausea, vomiting, abnormalities in vision, difficulty with speech, gradual changes in intellectual capacity or emotional response.

Being in this field for ages now, I feel that nowadays, various methods are used for diagnosing the tumor. Usually, a CT scan of the brain is done. This test is like an X-ray in which a contrast dye is injected into the bloodstream to highlight abnormalities on the scan. The MRI scan is also being used for suspected brain tumors. MRI test has a higher sensitivity for detecting a tumor. However, in many institutions still, a CT scan is used as the first diagnostic test.

People with brain cancer also suffer from different medical problems, therefore, routine lab tests are performed, which include analysis of blood, electrolytes, and liver function tests.

I feel very proud to be crowned among best Neurosurgeon in Chandigarh and to live up to to the mark I constantly study and research more about this and thereby treat my patients. I feel cancer is a battle which can be fought only with the right medical help, motivation, spirituality, and willpower.

The post CANCER- A FRIGHTFUL BATTLE appeared first on Dr. Anil Dhingra.