Brain cancer is not the most easily curable disease, but early detection and treatment can prolong a person’s survival rate, Dr. Samadi says.
Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Joseph (Beau) Biden III, died on Saturday after battling brain cancer. He was just 46 years old. Beau Biden was an Iraq War veteran who served as the attorney general of Delaware.
Beau Biden had been dealing with health problems since 2010, when he suffered from a stroke that fortunately did not debilitate his motor skills or speech. Three years later, after he suddenly felt disorientated and weak during a vacation, he was admitted to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Not long after that, he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
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He underwent surgery and was free of the cancer; however, it returned this spring. Biden underwent aggressive treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
While brain cancer is not the most easily curable disease, early detection and treatment can prolong a person’s survival rate. This is important with any type of cancer. Even if symptoms are subtle, do not hesitate to get checked out. Symptoms of brain cancer may include:
• Headaches that may be severe or worsen with activity or in the early morning
• Seizures. People may experience different types of seizures such as myoclonic, tonic-clonic (Grand Mal), sensory or complex partial seizures
• Personality or memory changes
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• Nausea or vomiting
• Fatigue
Does this mean anyone who is experiencing these symptoms needs to go and get an MRI? No. The key message here is simply to pay attention to signs and symptoms. Do not ignore them.
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This is even more important for those who have already been diagnosed with cancer. Regardless of what type of treatment you have — surgery, radiation, chemotherapy — you must always follow up on your disease. Just because you had treatment for cancer, you cannot forget about it and move on without doing follow-up tests.
Prostate cancer patients are a good example. The first line of treatment for prostate cancer is with surgery. Afterward, they are monitored using the PSA test, which tracks whether any prostate cancer cells are present in the bloodstream. The PSA after prostate surgery should always be zero. It is essential to track the PSA in patients after surgery because it is the only way to tell whether the cancer has come back or not.
We do not know what causes brain cancer. Most brain tumors are not linked to any known risk factors. However, there are certain factors that may increase your chances of developing a brain tumor. These include:
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Beau Biden (l, with his father Joe during the 2008 Democratic National Convention) fought in Iraq and served as Delaware attorney general before brain cancer cut his life short. He died on Saturday at age 46.
• Radiation exposure — While there is no proof that radiation causes cancer, we do know that radiation is not good for you. The use of cell phones has long been led to debate about whether they may increase a person’s risk for brain cancer. Current research shows conflicting results. Regardless, it is probably a good idea to limit cell phone use as much as possible or at least use a hands-free headset to reduce your exposure to radiation.
• Family history — While it is rare, people with brain tumors can have a family history of the disease. People who have any familial cancer symptoms tend to develop tumors at a very young age.
• History of immune system disorders — People with impaired immune systems have an increased risk of developing lymphomas of the brain. Impaired immune system may be present at birth, or may be caused by treatment of other cancers, treatment to prevent rejection of an organ transplant, or diseases like AIDS.
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No matter what type of cancer you have, early detection and treatment is key for the most optimal prognosis. In the meantime, pay attention to signs and symptoms. Even if they seem minimal, do not ignore them.
Get checked out, as it is better to be safe than sorry, and may even be a matter of life or death. Always follow up with your doctor. Whether you have had surgery or any treatment for cancer, you must always follow up on your disease for the rest of your life. Depending on your condition, you may need follow-up visits every couple of months, every six months or annually. Lastly, avoid exposure to radiation as much as possible.
Dr. Samadi is chairman of urology, chief of robotic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and professor of urology at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. He is a medical correspondent for the Fox News Channel’s Medical A-Team and the chief medical correspondent for am970 in New York City, where he is heard Sundays at 10 a.m.
Learn more at roboticoncology.com and SamadiMD.com. Follow Dr. Samadi on Twitter and Facebook.
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