The effect of intensive cell phone use on brain tumor formation has been discussed and researched by scientists for many years. Experts point out that genetic factors are more effective in the formation of brain tumors than cell phones and emphasize the necessity of surgical intervention in treatment. According to experts, the symptoms of brain tumors differ according to their location and growth rate. Headache, nausea, vomiting, visual - speech - sensory and walking disorders, weakness, epileptic seizures can be warning signs of brain tumors.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Brain, Nerve and Spinal Cord Surgeon Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bozbuğa shared extremely important information about brain tumors in adults.
Symptoms vary according to the location and growth rate of the tumor
Stating that the clinical picture is very rich due to the wide variety of brain functions, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bozbuğa said, "Depending on where the tumor is located and how fast it grows, the symptoms can vary greatly. Headache, nausea, vomiting, visual - speech - sensory and walking disorders, weakness, epilepsy, i.e. epileptic seizures can be warning signs of a brain tumor."
Genetic factors are effective in brain tumors
Bozbuğa said that since brain tumors are extremely important in terms of their consequences, their causes have been investigated for many years, "Many things have been put forward, claimed and investigated as causes, but genetic factors are important. There are some genetic syndromic conditions. There are brain tumors seen within the scope of these syndromes. Apart from these, there are some genetic disorders that facilitate the formation of brain tumors. However, here we can talk about the fact that tumors are not caused by a single chromosome disorder, but by the combination of multiple genetic disorders and even environmental factors. Therefore, as in other organ tumors of the body, there is no tumor that we can point out with a very high probability that if this genetic disorder occurs at a very high penetration, if this abnormality occurs, a tumor will occur."
Ionizing radiation causes brain tumors
Stating that apart from genetic factors, many factors from the beverages we consume to the food we eat and even the air we breathe have been investigated, Bozbuğa said, "For a while, traumas were held responsible. It was thought that additives in food, certain nutrients, infections and viruses could cause brain tumors. However, so far, only ionizing radiation is certain to cause brain tumors. Apart from this, it has not yet been scientifically proven that an environmental factor causes brain tumors."
No link between cell phones and brain tumors
Stating that mobile phones are not included in the ionizing radiation group, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bozbuğa said, "However, we can say that it is a scientifically researched subject because it has been on the agenda in recent years. When we look at the literature, we can see publications with different opinions, but there is no serious evidence in the publications stating that it causes brain tumors. They are only at the level of possibility. Some publications do not establish a causal link between cell phones and other digital equipment and brain tumors. Therefore, it is difficult to say for the moment that they are fully interconnected."
Headache does not indicate a brain tumor
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bozbuğa pointed out that brain tumors can occur with every conceivable symptom and continued his words as follows:
"The most important of these is headache, but there are nearly a thousand causes of headache. Therefore, although headache is seen in most patients with brain tumors, the probability of a brain tumor in a person with headache is very low. However, it is extremely high for a person with a brain tumor to develop a clinical picture with headache. In other words, very few patients with headache will have a brain tumor, so it is not necessary for someone with headache to immediately worry about a brain tumor. Of course, it requires an examination, and imaging will be done when you visit a physician. As a result, it is very unlikely that a headache will lead to a brain tumor. I suggest that people who experience headaches should not be prejudiced and fearful. Headache and numbness in the arm can also be caused by many reasons. The first disease that comes to mind in such complaints should not be a brain tumor. Likewise, migraine is a disease defined as primary headache syndrome and is one of the umbrella diagnoses. There is no relation between migraine and brain tumor. They are completely different diseases in terms of course, treatment and outcome."
Surgical intervention is important in brain tumors
Bozbuğa, who categorized brain tumors into categories, said, "Here we can talk about benign tumors, malignant tumors and also the spread of other organ tumors to the brain, which is very high in adults. When we consider these tumors in 3 groups, surgical intervention is required in all of them. Some tumors still require surgical intervention, but we may not insist on completely removing lemphoma and some tumors of the pineal region if it is technically difficult and may cause loss of function for the patient. Surgical intervention is very important first of all because it helps us to understand what the tumor is. Thanks to surgical intervention, we can perform pathological studies and genetic evaluations. When we remove the tumor, the patient's quality of life and neurological status improves as the extra mass load causing intracranial pressure is removed. Even if it is a malignant tumor, subsequent radio therapy and chemo therapy are more effective. Tumor-related edema is seen in almost every patient. By removing the tumor, we take an important step to eliminate this edema."
Patients should keep in touch with their physicians
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bozbuğa said: "Each patient's disease, surgery and postoperative picture are different, but if we need to make a common recommendation for each patient, they should not break their connections with their physicians and the hospital. Because these diseases we treat are serious, severe and recurrent diseases. Depending on the patient's condition, we can impose some restrictions and make some warnings," he concluded.
