Brain Tumor

By Nurse Diane

Years ago, when you heard about someone having a brain tumor, the information was usually passed in hushed tones.  Prognosis for this type of condition was not very good, however, research, surgery and medications have helped to control even erase tumors of the brain.

There are two types of brain tumors.  Brain tumors are either primary or metastatic tumors. Primary brain tumors are those, which originate in the brain. Metastatic brain tumors are those, which originate from cancerous cells that have migrated from other areas of the body.

Metastatic brain tumors are also known as secondary brain tumors. Not all brain tumors are cancerous – benign brain tumors are non-cancerous tissue and are harmful only when they grow to a size that affects adjacent areas of the brain. Benign brain tumors tend to grow more slowly than malignant (cancerous) brain tumors.

Signs of a brain tumor include:

• Seizures;
• Headaches;
• Fatigue, tiredness and drowsiness;
• Impaired speech;
• Difficulties when swallowing;
• In infants, an increase in head size;
• Impaired vision;
• Vomiting;
• Poor body coordination;
• Behavioral and mood changes;
• Weakness in a limb or on one side of the body;
• Difficulties with balance; and or
• Tingling sensations and/or weakness in the arms or legs.

This week is Brain Tumor Action week. Each year over 190,000 people are diagnosed, mostly children.  Brain Tumor Action Week seeks to raise awareness about brain tumors, including raising awareness about incidence, diagnosis, treatment and care of people suffering from brain tumors. Specialty care and follow up care, rehabilitative services and clinical trials are activities, which can enhance the quality of life of people living with brain tumors.  For More information visit: http://www.whathealth.com/awareness/event/braintumour.html

(All images from Google) 

Cord Blood Awareness Month - 2011

 Cord Blood Awareness Month is sponsored by a society of the American Hospital Association and strives to empower expectant parents to make an informed choice regarding their options to save their newborn's cord blood stem cells.

Each year more than 35,000 Americans with life threatening illnesses find themselves in need of a stem cell transplant. Cord blood stem cells have been playing an increasing role in filling that need and have been offering potential treatment options for many conditions that have no cure today. Cord blood has been used in more than 14,000 transplants worldwide during the last 20 years to treat many life-threatening diseases, such as leukemia and other cancers. Today, cord blood is showing great promise for use in regenerative medicine applications, including treatment for juvenile diabetes, brain injury, cerebral palsy, and hearing loss.

It is important for expectant parents to be aware of the potential value of cord blood stem cells and their options for saving it. Cord blood can only be collected immediately following birth, so parents should understand their choices and make a decision before their due date.

Family Banking: Parents have guaranteed access to a child's genetically-unique stem cells for future use within the family, including the child, siblings, parents or extended family members.

Free Program for Acute Family Need: CBR's Designated Treatment Program® provides free processing and storage to qualifying families with a member suffering from a disease treatable with cord blood stem cells. 

Public Donation: If eligible, expectant parents can donate cord blood stem cells for public use or research. 

Medical Waste: The cord blood stem cells are discarded after delivery at the hospital.

World Meningitis Day

 bout Meningitis

Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It can be the result of infection by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious type of meningitis, and it is often associated with a potentially life-threatening blood infection (septicaemia). The most common bacteria causing meningitis and septicaemia are:

·       Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib);

·       Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal); and

·       Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcal).

Meningitis can develop rapidly and its symptoms often resemble the flu (e.g., fever, fatigue and headache), which makes it difficult for doctors to diagnose. Even with early and appropriate treatment, the rates of death and serious long-term effects of the disease can be high. Survivors often suffer serious long-term consequences, such as deafness, epilepsy, brain damage, and limb loss. While the disease can affect people of all ages, infants, children and adolescents are at an increased risk of infection. Immunizations against bacterial meningitis with those vaccines that are available is essential; no one should suffer from this disease.

About World Meningitis Day

World Meningitis Day – annually on 24 April – is dedicated to raising awareness of meningitis, underscoring the importance of prevention through vaccination and improving support for those dealing with the potentially devastating consequences of this disease. The global family has grown over the past two years and now reaches across the globe from North and South America, through Europe to the Middle East, into the Indian subcontinent and throughout South East Asia and the Far East to Australia to join hands across state lines, country borders and continents. The date of 24 April 2011 is significant because it overlaps with European Immunization Week, sponsored by the World Health Organization, and Vaccination Week in the Americas, promoted by Pan American Health Organization and supported by health authorities throughout the United States, Canada and Central America.

The Confederation of Meningitis Organizations’ Inc (CoMO) brings together patient groups and child health organizations’ from all over the world who are working toward the elimination of meningitis and its related septicaemia and who support those touched by these diseases.

CoMO is incorporated as a charitable body in Perth, Western Australia with Rules of Association formulated under Australian law.  The secretariat and Chief Executive’s office are located in the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth. The secretariat deals with administration of CoMO and all applications for membership.

CoMO currently has 29 members and associate members in 20 countries and is organised on a regional basis – The Americas, Europe & Africa and Asia Pacific; making members globally united and regionally enabled in the fight against meningitis and septiceamia.

By joining hands together and raising our voices CoMO and its members can make a difference to the spread of knowledge around the world about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and the means of prevention by vaccination.

Vaccines are now available to protect against many of the bacteria which cause meningitis and septicaemia.

A source of information for the latest research on meningitis and its related septicaemia is CoMO member Meningitis Research Foundation (UK). This organization has been funding research in this area for over 20 years and holds a biennial conference on topics surrounding these diseases.