Product Detail

100 Questions & Answers About Brain Tumors
Virginia Stark-Vance, MD, Mary Louise Dubay,

Whether you’re a newly diagnosed brain tumor patient, a survivor, or a friend or relative of either, this book offers help. The only text to provide both the doctor’s and patient’s point of view, 100 Questions & Answers About Brain Tumors gives you authoritative, practical answers to your questions about treatment options, post-treatment quality of life, sources of support, and much more. The authors, a brain tumor survivor teamed with a neuro-oncologist specializing in brain tumors, provide a comprehensive, step-by-step discussion of what you can expect in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors, while providing a real-life understanding of what these steps might mean for your day-to-day life. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone coping with the physical and emotional turmoil of this frightening disease.

Table of Contents

Part 1. The Basics
Questions 1–6 cover the background about brain tumors, including:
  ▪ What is a brain tumor?
  ▪ Can any part of the brain have a tumor? Where do most brain tumors occur in the brain? Are there areas of
    the brain that are more dangerous to have a tumor?
  ▪ What causes a brain tumor?

Part 2. Diagnosis and Pathology
Questions 7–14 discuss how brain tumors are diagnosed and classified, including:
  ▪ What are the symptoms of brain tumors? Do all brain tumors cause headache?
  ▪ What is a neurological examination?
  ▪ What are the most common types of primary brain tumors?

Part 3. Neuroimaging
Questions 15-22 explore the various techniques used to look at brain tumors, such as:
  ▪ Why do I need both a CT scan and an MRI scan?
  ▪ How often should I have a follow up MRI scan?
  ▪ What is a PET scan? Why does my doctor use MRI scans and not PET scans to evaluate my tumor?

Part 4. Neurosurgery
Questions 23–32 discuss what you can expect from brain surgery, incluging:
  ▪ What are the potential complications of a neurosurgical procedure?
  ▪ Are there some tumors that can be surgically cured? Is a tumor that cannot be resected always incurable?
  ▪ Why do I still need therapy if all the malignant cells were removed?

Part 5. Radiation Therapy
Questions 33-41 describe radiation therapy, including:
  ▪ What is radiation therapy?
  ▪ What are the side effects of radiation therapy?
  ▪ What is the difference between stereotactic radiosurgery and Gamma Knife?

Part 6. Chemotherapy and Other Drug Therapy
Questions 42–57 describe chemotherapy and drug side effects, such as:
  ▪ What is chemotherapy? What are the most common drugs used in the treatment of brain tumors?
    What are their side effects?
  ▪ Why are blood cell counts affected by chemotherapy? Are low blood cell counts dangerous?

Part 7. Clinical Trials for Brain Tumor Patients
Questions 58-64 discuss the benefits and drawbacks of participating in clinical trials:
  ▪ What is a clinical trial?
  ▪ What do I need to know before I enroll in a study?

Part 8. Complications of Brain Tumors and Their Treatment
Questions 65-72 discuss the potential aftereffects of the disease and its treatment, including:
  ▪ Can I expect to have brain damage as a result of surgery, radiation therapy or other treatment?
  ▪ How long do I need to take anticonvulsant medication?
  ▪ Why am I short of breath? Will this improve?

Part 9. Medications Used in Brain Tumor Treatment
Questions 73–78 describe specific medications used in treating brain tumors, including:
  ▪ What does dexamethasone do? What are the side effects of dexamethasone?
  ▪ What are the side effects of anticonvulsant medication?
  ▪ My pharmacist said that there may be a "drug interaction" between some of my medications.
    What does this mean?

Part 10. Living With a Brain Tumor
Questions 79–89 discuss the emotional and practical aspects of daily life after a brain tumor diagnosis, such as:
  ▪ I have just learned that I have a brain tumor and I am afraid. Is this common?
  ▪ What dietary adjustments do I need to make during treatment? Should I take vitamin or mineral supplements?
    Can diet protect against recurrence of a brain tumor?
  ▪ Fatigue is a big problem for me—I simply don’t have the energy to do anything. What can I do about this?

Part 11. Taking Control of Your Future
Questions 90–100 discuss strategies for coping with your diagnosis and treatment, including:
  ▪ Are there specific support groups for brain tumor patients? How do I find one?
  ▪ What records do I need to keep about my treatment? What is the best way to keep organized?
  ▪ How do I discuss prognosis with my doctor?
  ▪ Where do I find more information?

Appendix
The appendix is a list of web sites, organizations, and literature to help brain tumor patients and their families find additional resources on general and specific topics related to brain tumors.

Glossary
Index