Terminal Brain Cancer Symptoms

Brain cancer is a term used to describe any abnormal malignant growth of cells within the brain tissue. The size and location of the cancer, the stage of the cancer detected, and how promptly treatment is begun all determine whether the growth can be successfully treated or will ultimately become terminal. Brain cancer that has progressed into the terminal phase results in a number of symptoms in the afflicted individual.

Stages

• Brain cancer is divided into four stages of development. In Stage I and Stage II, abnormal cancer cells are slow-growing, difficult to detect, and rarely have begun to metastasize, or spread, to surrounding tissues. Brain cancer diagnosed in these early stages is treated with the most success. In Stage III, the cancer cells are easily identifiable and more likely to have begun to spread. In Stage IV brain cancer, the growth has begun to aggressively spread into surrounding tissues. This stage of the disease is the stage associated with terminal brain cancer since successful treatment is much more difficult.

Neurological problems

• The most common symptom experienced by brain cancer patients who have moved into the terminal phase of the disease is an increase in neurological problems. These may include severe seizures, difficulty speaking or understanding what is said to them, and trouble walking or balancing. The individual's personality may shift suddenly and dramatically and he or she may begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behaviors.

Vision problems

• A sudden onset of visual problems can also signal terminal brain cancer. The most common of these disturbances are the sudden loss or sharp decrease in peripheral vision; vision that becomes oddly blurred; and/or double vision. It is also common for these problems to occur in only one eye.

Vomiting

• An individual with terminal brain cancer may also experience severe bouts of unexplained nausea. The nausea can be extreme and may be accompanied by episodes of prolonged and uncontrollable vomiting.

Worsening of symptoms

• Patients who have already been diagnosed with brain cancer may experience a noticeable increase in the occurence and severity of the symptoms they already suffer from. For instance, while headaches are common to people with earlier stages of brain cancer, individuals with terminal brain cancer may have more intense headaches that occur in different parts of the head and follow a different pattern than their previous headaches.