Brain Health and Prevention is the theme for World Brain Tumour Day 2024.(Image: Shutterstock)
Tumours are classified as benign (noncancerous, curable, slow growth rate) and malignant (cancerous, further classified depending upon its potential to multiply).
World Brain Tumour Day is a day dedicated to creating awareness about brain Tumours. It is observed annually on June 8. A brain tumour is an unnecessary or abnormal growth of cells in the brain. Depending on their location and intensity of growth, tumour are classified as benign (noncancerous, curable, slow growth rate) or malignant (cancerous, further classified depending upon their potential to multiply).
When the tumour grows inside the human brain, it puts pressure on that part and affects the body functions that particular area is responsible for. Researchers have identified over 120 types of brain tumours on the basis of the brain tissue that they impact.
“Brain Health and Prevention” is the World Brain Tumour Day 2024 theme that focuses to advocate for the paramount importance of brain health and preventive measures. According to reports, over 40,000–50,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumours in India every year. Of these, 20 percent are children. For all malignant brain tumour patients, the average survival rate is only 34.4 percent.
World Brain Tumour Day 2024: History
With the objective of finding a cure, encouraging research on the ailment, and spreading awareness about brain Tumors, the German Brain Tumor Association, named Deutsche Hirntumorhilfe eV, initiated a campaign. Tracing back to the early 2000s, World Brain Tumour Day was first observed on June 8, 2000, with the idea of paying tribute to brain Tumor patients and their families by educating people about the disease.
The observance gained international recognition over time, and efforts were made to establish a global day dedicated to brain tumour awareness. The International Brain Tumor Alliance (IBTA), an organisation that brings together brain Tumor advocacy groups from around the world, announced June 8 as World Brain Tumour Day in 2010.
World Brain Tumour Day 2024: Significance
World Brain Tumour Day serves as a global platform dedicated to creating general awareness about the menace of brain tumours. This observance aims to shed light on the common symptoms of brain tumours to promote early detection, address challenges faced by patients and their families, support research efforts, and advocate for improved treatment options.
The idea is to create an inclusive setup by uniting with individuals, organisations, and communities worldwide and raising funds in order to assist patients who are struggling to pay for the treatment of brain tumours.
World Brain Tumour Day 2024: General Signs And Symptoms
- Frequent, acute headaches, accompanied by nausea and vomiting at a later stage of the illness
- Personality or behavioural changes, paralysis of body parts
- Seizures (fits), difficulty in speaking or trouble in vision, hearing, smell, or taste
- Muscle weakness and imbalance while walking
- Memory loss, coordination difficulty
World Brain Tumour Day 2024: Treatment
Doctors diagnose brain tumours through neurological examination (coordination, vision, audio/hearing, balance check), biopsy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests. After diagnosis, if it is found that the Tumor is benign, then depending on certain characteristics, neurosurgeons may either remove it completely or carry out medication as treatment. Surgery is the most commonly used method to treat Brain Tumours; however, there are other options as well:
- Radiotherapy with chemotherapy
- Steroids
- Anti-seizure medication
- Ventricular peritoneal shunt
