While no person in Seattle ever wants to be told by a doctor that they have cancer, there are certain cancers that may be even scarier than others. Being diagnosed with brain cancer, for example, may be particularly upsetting to people. However, not being appropriately diagnosed with brain cancer if a person actually has it, could actually be worse that hearing the words, “You have brain cancer.”
As with any type of cancer, early detection of brain cancer is important to give patients the best opportunity to receive treatment that may allow them to enjoy a good quality of life for longer than if they do not receive necessary treatment. The Mayo Clinic indicates that there are many different types of tests that may be used to effectively diagnose a brain tumor or brain cancer. One thing that a health care provider may do is conduct neurological testing.
As explained by the American Brain Tumor Association, this type of testing will evaluate many relatively basic functions to see measure how well a person’s brain is sending signals to the rest of the body. A person may be asked to describe the look, feel or smell of an object or they may be questioned about things to help identify any potential problems with cognitive functioning or memory.
A host of imaging techniques are now available for use in detecting brain cancers. Some imaging uses dyes to highlight particular portions of the brain. The location, size and type of any tumor that may be found may contribute to a recommended path of treatment.