How to Tell If You Have a Brain Tumor

Brain tumors can present many different symptoms. A Keck Medicine of USC neurosurgeon explains when you should see a doctor. 

Everyone throughout their life has probably experienced a headache. Some might have experienced them so intensely that they considered they had something more serious wrong with them – such as a brain tumor. 

“There are many, many different presentations of symptoms depending on the size and location of a tumor,” says Gabriel Zada, MD, a neurosurgeon and the director of the USC Brain Tumor Center, part of Keck Medicine of USC.  

Brain tumors that are small and not cancerous can cause symptoms that develop slowly, he says. But with cancerous brain tumors, symptoms might come on suddenly.  

Common symptoms of a brain tumor can include: 

“It’s one of those things where if you are concerned, it’s always better to err on the side of caution,” Dr. Zada says. “If something just doesn’t feel right or the symptoms are out of the ordinary for a person, prolonged or getting worse in severity or duration, then it’s better to reach out to your primary doctor and see if you need to be referred to a specialist.”  

How do doctors diagnose a brain tumor? 

When you first go in to see a doctor for a suspected brain tumor, the doctor will likely start with a very detailed physical and medical history, as well as a neurological exam. A comprehensive neurological exam includes tests for memory, cognition, vision, reflexes, sensory and motor skills and more, which help doctors determine if certain cranial nerves or other areas of the brain are malfunctioning, Dr. Zada says.  

After these physical exams, if doctors are still concerned they might also recommend doing some imaging, either a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), he says.  

“Sometimes tumors are discovered by endocrinologists because hormones are out of balance, so that might be the entry into diagnosis,” Dr. Zada says. “Other times, it’s in the emergency room after someone has a seizure. There’s really a wide variety of ways for people to be diagnosed.”  

Who is at risk of getting a brain tumor? 

A lot of patients whom Dr. Zada sees are other cancer patients, such as lung or breast cancer patients, who have neurological symptoms.  

“If someone has stage 4 cancer that has spread to the brain, that’s called brain metastasis, and that’s one of the most common tumors we treat,” Dr. Zada says.  

While other cancer patients are at a higher risk of developing a brain tumor, sometimes a brain tumor can happen to a young or healthy person, too.  

If you have persistent or unusual symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor right away. 

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