Corel Medical Series: Cancer/Corel Medical Series: Cancer.iso/mac/Program/c05.dxr/00084_Field_SRC.c05.C.27.txt

Text File | 1997-01-28 | 2KB | 18 lines

• Swelling of the brain can persist after treatments have been completed. Swelling also often accompanies
  recurrent tumors. It can cause neurological deficits and create symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. The
  corticosteroid medication dexamethasone is used to decrease this swelling.
• A few patients need a very low maintenance dose of corticosteroid hormones even if the tumor is not active or
  has been controlled. In such cases, some of the original symptoms, such as headache, nausea or neurological
  abnormalities, may recur if the steroid hormones are discontinued.
• Medications are sometimes needed to eliminate nausea and relieve pain.
• The risk of seizures can persist over the patient's lifetime. Medications are given to prevent this from
  happening. The drugs used most often include phenytoin, carbamazepine and phenobarbital. Blood tests are
  performed to measure the amount of the drug in the blood. The dose required to control seizures varies from
  patient to patient. Sometimes two different drugs have to be used.
• Neurologic status may change or deteriorate because of the cascade of secondary effects on the brain rather than
  because of tumor growth. Factors causing apparent neurologic deterioration may include lowering the steroid
  dosage too rapidly, mineral or electrolyte imbalance, complications such as infections or metabolic problems,
  other medications, particularly for pain, and the effects of radiation therapy .
      Tumor destruction from radiation may briefly produce waste products that may irritate the brain. Because
  the brain lacks lymphatic blood vessels, there is no efficient method of removing the waste materials, which is
  why tumors responding to treatment may not appear to change in size for a long time.