32-Year-Old Dad’s Headaches ‘Seemed To Coincide With Stressful Periods.’ It Turned Out To Be a Brain Tumor

What You Need to Know About Stress 

“Initially, I didn’t think much of the headaches, as they seemed to coincide with stressful periods.”

However, by August of that year, his headaches occurred more often and his family pushed him to get checked. He added, “My GP suggested that stress and lack of sleep were likely the cause behind my headaches.Relieved it was nothing serious, no further tests or treatments were recommended, and I went home.”

At around the time his headaches worsened, and he suspected the cause to be “life pressures,” he remained unconcerned. Thankfully, a visit with an eye doctor, something his job suggested he get done because his work revolved around a computer screen, led to his brain tumor diagnosis.

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“It’s something I wouldn’t have done had I been responsible for the cost myself,” he tells Brain Tumor Research, “I went to the opticians for my eye test on September 4, 2024.

“During the examination, the optician noticed an unusual amount of pressure behind both of my optic nerves. This pressure, the optician explained, could be the cause of my headaches. The optician referred me to the hospital for further investigation.”

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Then, he went to the ophthalmology department at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH), which confirmed a “significant pressure” behind both of his optic nerves and that he’s need further scans. Doctors first saw two cysts on his brain and because he had “no neurological deficits,” he didn’t need emergency surgery.

Lowe explained further that he would need surgery to drain the larger cyst and remove a small tumor attached to one of the cysts, telling him he had “Cystic Space-Occupying Lesion (SOL).”

After undergoing a right frontal craniotomy on September 18th, 2024, he recounted, “The surgery had successfully removed part of the tumour and drained the cysts, although they could not remove all of the fluid in one go due to concerns about leaving too large a gap in the brain.

“By September 20th, I was recovering well and was discharged from hospital. I continue to undergo quarterly MRI scans to monitor my condition. The tumour was confirmed as a benign pilocytic astrocytoma, and although not all the fluid had been drained, the doctors were confident that the remaining fluid would eventually dissipate on its own.”

Now, as Lowe’s doctors think he’s “in the clear,” he’s hoping his story can encourage others to get routine eye tests because the one he had was life-saving.

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“Had I ignored the headaches or avoided the eye test, my condition would have gone undiagnosed for much longer, potentially leading to more severe consequences,” he concluded.

“What scares me the most, is that I almost didn’t seek help. To me, my symptoms weren’t overly concerning. I can imagine there are others out there who might feel the same way, thinking their symptoms don’t warrant further investigation. But reaching out to a GP is definitely the first step in the right direction.”

Additionally, it’s important to note that researchers have been looking to answer whether stress, something Lowe said he was dealing with, causes cancer for years. However, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), “the evidence that stress causes cancer is weak.”

Most studies to date have highlighted a link between stress and cancer, not a cause. This means that the evidence does not show that the cancer diagnoses in people with chronic stress are because of the stress. They could, instead, stem from some other variable, like genetic inheritance or known cancer-causing behaviors that tend to go hand in hand with stress.

“It may be that stress leads people towards unhealthy behaviors that are more directly associated with cancer,” Dr. Allyson Ocean, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College/ New York Presbyterian Hospital, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

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Understanding Pilocytic Astrocytomas

According to Cedars-Sinai, a Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is a slow-growing type of primary central nervous system (CNS) tumor.

Cedars-Sinai explains, “A tumor is an abnormal growth of cells. The brain and spinal cord make up the CNS. Primary means that the tumor starts in the brain or spinal cord rather than starting somewhere else in the body and spreading to the brain.

“The term astro or astrocyte comes from the name of the star-shaped cells these tumors start in. Astrocytes are a type of glial cell, and a major type of non-nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. They support and nourish the CNS. Many different types of tumors start in astrocytes.”

Astrocytomas are considered a type of glioma, however, pilocytic astrocytomas are usually the slowest growing. They are often found in children or teens, but adults can get them as well, like Sean Lowe.

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Cedars-Sinai notes these types of gliomas “grow very slowly and rarely invade nearby tissues.”

All About Brain Tumors

Brain tumors account for 85-90% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). In 2025, the ASCO estimated that 24,820 adults (14,040 men and 10,780 women) in the United States would be diagnosed with primary cancerous tumors of the brain and spinal cord.

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and acts as the main “processing center” for the body’s nervous system. The normal function of the brain and spinal cord can become difficult if there’s a tumor putting pressure on or spreading into normal tissue close by.

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There are many different types of brain and spinal cord tumors and some of which are more likely to spread into nearby parts of the brain or spinal cord than others. Slow-growing tumors may be considered benign, however, even these types of tumors can lead to serious problems.

Meanwhile, symptoms of brain tumors, as a whole, are usually caused by increased pressure in the skull. This pressure can stem from tumor growth, swelling in the brain, or blockage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the American Cancer Society explains.

General symptoms may include:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Balance problems
• Personality or behavior changes
• Seizures
• Drowsiness or even coma

Additionally, MD Anderson Cancer Center notes that changes in the ability to smell can also be a sign of brain tumors, and, more specifically, “strange smells” can be a symptom of seizures, which can result from brain tumors.

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It’s important to note that these symptoms are not exclusive to brain tumors. Still, you should always speak with your doctor if you’re experiencing any health problems.

Meanwhile, treatment options for brain cancer depend on a variety of factors, including the size and type of the tumor as well as the grade of the tumor.

Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are options doctors use to treat brain tumors. Cancer warriors are encouraged to talk to their doctor about their situation and the best treatment options.

Understanding Gliomas

There are various types of brain cancers and tumors that someone may be diagnosed with, so it’s important to understand that a glioma is a tumor originating in the central nervous system (CNS), specifically in the brain or spinal cord. A glioma originates in glial cells. Glial cells are supportive cells in the brain that protect and maintain the neurons. These types of tumors can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

“Glioma is a broad term that refers to a whole range of different types of primary brain tumors,” Dr. Alexandra Miller, Director of the Neuro-Oncologist Division at NYU Langone Health, tells SurvivorNet.

“They’re tumors that originate in the brain and very rarely spread outside the brain to other parts of the body,” Dr. Miller continued.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and lethal form of primary brain tumor. Classified as a Grade 4 glioma by the World Health Organization (WHO), glioblastoma presents significant challenges for treatment due to its highly invasive nature, rapid growth, and resistance to most conventional therapies.

WATCH: Understanding Gliomas

According to the National Cancer Institute, the average survival rate is 15 months with treatment and less than six if left untreated. While there is a five-year survival rate of averaging 6 percent, those individuals will never be cancer-free. They must continue receiving radiation and chemotherapy for the rest of their lives.

Clinical trials help doctors better understand cancer and discover more effective treatment methods. They also allow patients to try a treatment before it’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which can potentially be life-changing.

WATCH: Clinical Trials can be Life-Saving

Within the U.S., all new drugs must go through clinical trials before the FDA approves them. Although the rewards of clinical trials can be great, they also come with risks. Talking to your doctor about this before enrolling in a trial is important.

Glioblastoma Risk Factors and Symptoms

Glioblastoma risk factors can include:

• Prior radiation exposure
• Gender: men are more likely to get glioblastoma than women
• Age: people 50 years or older
• Certain genetic syndromes, including neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, von Hippel-Lindau disease

Common symptoms of glioblastoma can include:

• Headaches
• Seizures
• Changes in mental function, mood, or personality
• Changes in speech
• Sensory changes in hearing, smell, and sight
• Loss of balance
• Changes in your pulse and breathing rate

Treatment Options for Gliomas

“The first step is always the neurosurgery. How much can you take out? Is it safe to do surgery? Do you have to rely on a biopsy? Can you even do a biopsy?” Dr. Henry Friedman, Deputy Director of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, tells SurvivorNet.

WATCH: Glioma Treatment Options

The main treatment options are:

• Observation—Some benign, small, and without symptoms of gliomas or tumors located in inoperable locations can be recommended for observation.
• Surgery is often the first-line treatment for gliomas, with the goal of achieving maximal safe resection, where the largest amount of tumor is removed without causing significant neurologic deficits. For low-grade gliomas, surgery alone can sometimes be curative.

After surgery, pathologists examine the tumor tissue to understand its features and molecular makeup. This added step helps doctors outline an appropriate treatment.

“We go through a very elaborate process of diagnostics, which includes looking at it under the microscope through our pathology team,” Dr. Friedman explained to SurvivorNet.

WATCH: The Role of Surgery in Treating Gliomas

Radiation and chemotherapy are often needed after surgery because removing the tumor completely is usually not possible due to the tumor’s ability to spread into surrounding brain tissue.

• Radiation therapy uses high–energy X–rays to target and kill tumor cells. It is often used after surgery to target residual tumor cells.
• Chemotherapy – These medications kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be used alongside radiation or following radiation and is often used in higher-grade tumors.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some drug treatments, including temozolomide (Temodar), to help patients with this aggressive disease. Temozolomide is a chemotherapy drug patients can take after surgery and radiation therapy.

• Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are newer treatments designed to target specific genetic mutations in the tumor or to stimulate the immune system to fight the cancer. Their role in the treatment of gliomas is continuing to evolve.

Other FDA-approved drugs for treating glioblastoma include lomustine (Gleostine), intravenous carmustine (Bicnu), carmustine wafer implants, and Avastin (bevacizumab).

Avastin is a targeted drug therapy that blocks glioblastoma cells from requesting new blood vessels that feed and allow the tumor to grow.

The FDA approved Vorasidenib, an IDH inhibitor. It works by blocking the mutated enzyme, slowing tumor growth, and extending the time before disease progression. IDH mutant gliomas tend to grow more slowly and have a better prognosis than IDH wild-type gliomas.

Dr. Alexandra Miller, Director of the Neuro-Oncology Division at NYU Langone Health, tells SurvivorNet that Vorasidenib is a “huge breakthrough for people with IDH mutant tumors.”

WATCH: Vorasidenib for IDH Mutant Gliomas

“What I tell my patients is that we have these effective treatments, but what they do is they delay the time to when this tumor comes back. Only in exceptional circumstances would we ever talk about getting rid of one of these cancers a few,” Dr. Daniel Wahl, professor of radiation and oncology at the University of Michigan, tells SurvivorNet.

Ongoing Research Offers Hope

Fortunately, research is ongoing to improve the prognosis for people battling glioblastoma. One area of promise is tumor-treating fields, which can help extend patients’ lives by two years on average, giving them hope.

Optune, the brand name for the tumor-treating field delivery device, was launched in 2011 and approved by the FDA in 2015. It is a wearable and portable device for glioblastoma treatment for adult patients aged 22 years or older.

“There’s been a very exciting development of tumor treating fields, which are electrical fields that have been applied to the brain,” Dr. Suriya Jeyapalan, a neurologist at Tufts Medical Center, previously told Survivor Net.

TTFields use low-intensity electric fields to disrupt the cell division process, making it harder for cancerous cells to multiply.

WATCH: Using electric sources to improve glioblastoma treatment.

Despite Optune’s hope, not all cancer experts agree with its approach, including Dr. Friedman.

“Although the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recognizes Optune within its guidelines as a therapy for glioblastoma, many people don’t believe it adds value. At Duke, for example, we don’t consider it a mainstay of therapy,” Dr. Friedman said.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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