Ch 17: What are intracranial and extra cranial tumors

Question 1

Primary brain tumor

Answer 1

Originates form the brain tissue itself

Question 2

Secondary brain tumor

Answer 2

metastases form the primary tumor located elsewhere in the body (mostly from lung/breast/skin cancer)

Question 3

Slow growing tumor (e.g. low grade gliomas): what is the first symptom?

Answer 3

seizures

Question 4

fast growing (high grade) tumor: first symptoms

Answer 4

neurological failure

high intracranial pressure

Question 5

memory disorders and problems with word fluency present before operation are often attributed to:

Answer 5

oedema formation
a larger tumor
a higher tumor degree

Question 6

Who usually have more cognitive impairments

Answer 6

glioma patients

–> can generate a cortical reorganisation due to the high plasticity of the brain –> the function recovers (partly)

Question 7

Meningioma (mostly benign): consequences of space consuming process

Answer 7

severe cognitive impairments in the long term

Question 8

Neurosurgery as the cause of cognitive impairments –> why do doctors don’t want to operate and how do they operate?

Answer 8

not in brain areas that are crucial for cognitive functioning (eloquent brain areas)
awake resection –> conducting cognitive tests

Question 9

Late radiation damage

Answer 9

irreversible, serious complication that can occur even years after the radiation
local radiation necrosis or diffuse encephalopathy (attention, working memory, psychomotor slowness, dementia, executive, memory, behavioral)

Question 10

Low grade glioma patient

Answer 10

mild cognitive impairment
no progression in first years
radiated? –> cognitively deterioration in the long term in comparison to non radiated

Question 11

High grade glioma patient

Answer 11

cause of cognitive impairment harder to discover
poly therapy: chemo + radiation
progression tumor –> rapid cognitive decline

Question 12

Brain tumor: treatments

Answer 12

most commonly used: radiation –> prefer focal radiation (radiation damage)

Question 13

drugs as the cause of cognitive impairment

Answer 13

brain tumor –> epileptic seizure –> anti-epileptica –> cognitive impairments
chemotherapy –> neurotoxicity
corticosteroids –> mood disorders, psychoses

Question 14

Chemotherapy

Answer 14

nausea
hair loss
fewer white blood cells and platelets

crosses blood brain barrier easily –> neurotoxic effects
==> forgetfulness, problems in sustained and divided attention, maintaining an overview

Question 15

Mood disorder and fatigue following or during brain tumor

Answer 15

anxiety/depressive depends on location tumor

fatigue is one of the most subjectively reported symptoms (treated with chemo or not)