From: jrfox@no.spam.fastlane.net.no.spam (Jonathan R. Fox)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Tumor prevention
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 14:12:56 GMT

On Sun, 27 Feb 2000 09:12:21 -0000, "Bennett" <njb35@spam.ac.uk>
wrote:
>
>Jonathan R. Fox wrote in message ...
>>On Sat, 26 Feb 2000 18:05:06 -0800, Valentina
>><valens100NOvaSPAM@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>>1) what are the first symptoms of a brain tumor?
>>
>>They can vary.  The first symptom can be headaches, vision changes,
>>personality changes, discharge from the nipples (from a
>>prolactin-secreting tumor of the pituitary), balance problems, ringing
>>in the ears, or vomiting (especially in the morning).  Of course, most
>>of these symptoms happen from other conditions too and are usually not
>>from a brain tumor.
>
>A neurosurgeon once said to me that the most common presenting complaint
>that was due to a tumour was a headache, and yet of all the headaches he saw
>the chances of it being a tumour were _minute_ (and this was after the GP
>had screened the patients least likely to have a tumour).  Most often they
>would be simple tension headaches, which themselves can present in various
>ways.

By contrast, many pediatric brain tumors present with vomiting
(especially in the morning) without nausea.  You wouldn't believe how
many brain tumors are diagnosed by gastroenterologists!

--
Jonathan R. Fox, M.D.