Brain health and prevention is the theme of World Brain Tumor Day 2024 (Image: Shutterstock)
Tumors are classified as benign (non-cancerous, curable, slow growing rate) and malignant (cancerous, further classified according to their potential to multiply).
World Brain Tumor Day is a day dedicated to raising awareness about brain tumors. It is observed annually on June 8. A brain tumor is an unnecessary or abnormal growth of cells in the brain. Depending on their location and intensity of growth, tumors are classified as benign (non-cancerous, curable, slow growth rate) or malignant (cancerous, further classified according to their potential to multiply).
When the tumor grows inside the human brain, it puts pressure on that part and affects the body functions for which that particular area is responsible. Researchers have identified more than 120 types of brain tumors based on the brain tissue they affect.
“Brain Health and Prevention” is the theme of World Brain Tumor Day 2024 which focuses on advocating the utmost importance of brain health and preventive measures. According to reports, every year between 40,000 and 50,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumors in India. Of them, 20 percent are children. For all patients with malignant brain tumors, the average survival rate is only 34.4 percent.
World Brain Tumor Day 2024: History
With the aim of finding a cure, promoting research into the disease and raising awareness about brain tumors, the German Brain Tumor Association, called Deutsche Hirntumorhilfe eV, started a campaign. Since the early 2000s, World Brain Tumor Day was first celebrated on June 8, 2000, with the idea of honoring brain tumor patients and their families by educating people about the disease.
The celebration gained international recognition over time and efforts were made to establish a global day dedicated to brain tumor awareness. The International Brain Tumor Alliance (IBTA), an organization that brings together brain tumor advocacy groups from around the world, announced June 8 as World Brain Tumor Day in 2010.
World Brain Tumor Day 2024: Importance
World Brain Tumor Day serves as a global platform dedicated to raising general awareness about the threat of brain tumors. This celebration aims to shed light on common symptoms of brain tumors to promote early detection, address challenges faced by patients and their families, support research efforts, and advocate for better treatment options.
The idea is to create an inclusive environment by uniting with people, organizations and communities around the world and raising funds to help patients struggling to pay for brain tumor treatment.
World Brain Tumor Day 2024: General signs and symptoms
- Frequent sharp headaches, accompanied by nausea and vomiting at a later stage of the disease.
- Personality or behavioral changes, paralysis of body parts.
- Convulsions (fits), difficulty speaking, or problems with vision, hearing, smell, or taste.
- Muscle weakness and imbalance when walking.
- Memory loss, coordination difficulty.
World Brain Tumor Day 2024: Treatment
Doctors diagnose brain tumors through neurological exams (coordination, vision, audio/hearing, balance control), biopsy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests. After diagnosis, if the tumor is found to be benign, depending on certain characteristics, neurosurgeons may remove it completely or administer medication as treatment. Surgery is the most used method to treat brain tumors; However, there are also other options:
- Radiotherapy with chemotherapy.
- steroids
- Anti-seizure medications
- Ventricular peritoneal shunt
