Frontal Brain Tumor Symptoms

Brain tumors are dangerous regardless of where they are located and whether or not they are cancerous. Frontal lobe brain tumors display some very noticeable symptoms that may be more obvious to others than to the person actually suffering from them.

Identification

• A brain tumor is a growth that forms in the brain, and its size and location can determine the various symptoms that are displayed. There are two different types of brain tumors; malignant and benign. A benign tumor is one that is not cancerous, and the reduction of symptoms can be achieved usually by removing the tumor through surgery. Benign tumors offer no possibility of spreading disease to other parts of the brain or the rest of the body.
  A malignant tumor is a life-threatening tumor that may or may not be made up of cancerous cells. A benign tumor that is very close to an important part of the brain could be considered malignant because of its potential ability to cause permanent damage. Malignant cancerous tumors spread out to other parts of the brain and the nervous system, spreading cancer and causing severe damage. A malignant brain tumor will normally not extend beyond the boundaries of the nervous system.

Features

• A brain tumor that starts in the brain is called a primary brain tumor, and a brain tumor that had its cancerous cells begin in some other part of the body and travel to the brain is known as a metastatic brain tumor. When prescribing treatment for a brain tumor, it is important to assign that tumor a name and a grade. The name of a tumor indicates where the body the tumor's cells originated, and the grade of the tumor is based on its ability to spread to other parts of the nervous system. Malignant tumors are commonly grades as low-grade, mid-grade or high-grade depending on how much the cancerous cells tend to spread beyond the tumor.

Symptoms

• The location of a tumor can affect the symptoms demonstrated by the patient. A person suffering from a frontal lobe brain tumor can display symptoms such as severe mood swings and sudden emotional changes, the inability to distinguish scents and odors, paralysis to one side of the body, loss of memory and potential changes to the ability to exercise good and proper judgment. A tumor that bridges the left and right frontal lobes can result in a lack of coordination during walking or running.

Considerations

• Initial symptoms indicating the growth of a frontal lobe brain tumor can be difficult to notice. However, over time noticeable symptoms such as seizures and frequent urination will begin to develop. It is important to stay vigilant if someone you know displays these outward symptoms or others, such as personality change and mood swings, as they may not be readily acknowledged by the person suffering from them.

Effects

• Some of the possible complications of a frontal brain tumor are a permanent loss of vision, permanent loss of the ability to speak or complete and permanent paralysis.