What Is the Prognosis of Brain Cancer?

A prognosis, according to Miriam-Webster Dictionary, is "the prospect of survival and recovery from a disease." So if you or a loved one are diagnosed with brain cancer it is highly likely you are going to ask the doctor for his prognosis, since we generally want to know if our doctor has hope for our improvement--especially for something as serious as brain cancer. But a doctor's prognosis is not a guarantee; it is merely an educated guess based on statistical data and other factors like the size, location, and type of cancer, as well as the patient's age and medical condition.

Historical data

• The historical data gleaned from previous brain cancer patients is very helpful in guiding a doctor in his prognosis of current patients, since diseases generally follow a similar course of action regardless of the patient. While this is not always true, and there are some deviations from these disease patterns due to patient differences (age, health), these exceptions are generally rare. Therefore, historical data provides the doctor with a base from which to form his own prognosis, after considering all factors.

Size

• The size of the cancerous tumor in the brain impacts the prognosis significantly. There is limited growth space in the brain, so as a tumor grows in the brain it severely affects the surrounding brain tissue and its function. This can result in speech, sight, and other abilities being adversely affected when the tumor pushes into other brain areas because of its size. Additionally, the size of a tumor will dictate treatment options pursued (and how quickly): Large cancerous tumors are removed by surgery as quickly as possible to stop the growth process, since they can double in size in a mere seven days.

Location

• The location of a tumor is important, since some tumors that would normally be considered benign are instead labeled malignant due to their complicated location in the brain, preventing the ability to safely remove during surgery without risking life or quality of life.

Types

• Primary brain cancers (those that originate in the brain) differ from those cancers that originated elsewhere in the body. While other cancers must be treated in the body--as well as where it has metastasized into the brain--primary brain cancers are only treated in the brain; they don't metastasize to the other parts of the body. This, therefore, will also affect the prognosis given.

Age and Overall Health

• The age of the patient suffering from brain cancer will also play a role in the prognosis made by the doctor, with infants and the elderly more likely to receive a prognosis of concern due to their brain development stage and other age-related factors. Likewise, the overall health of the patient will impact the prognosis, since those with heart disease, diabetes, and other serious health conditions will have more risk factors to be considered than those in excellent health.

Prognosis

• Medical doctors are fortunate to have historical data to draw from when making their prognosis, and even though they have that data they still can only make an educated guess as to prognosis; therefore, there is always hope if the prognosis is not good, since exceptions do occur, even if they are rare.