Understanding Brain Tumors & The Importance of Second Opinions
- British TV host and “The Masked Singer” judge Davina McCall, has admitted she’s in “good spirits” as she prepares for surgery to remove a “very rare” brain tumor.
- The 57-year-old mom of three, who hosted the reality show “Big Brother UK,” took to social media this week to explain that she’ll be “off the grid” for a short time while she the colloid cyst [a fluid-filled sac that develops in the brain’s third ventricle] surgically removed.
- Brain tumors account for 85-90% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). General symptoms of a brain tumor may include headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, balance problems, personality or behavior changes, seizures, drowsiness, or even coma.
- When faced with a cancer battle, whether you’re an adult or a child, it can be difficult to focus on life outside of your disease. However, it’s important to remember that your mental state can actually impact your success as a patient.
- “I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
The 57-year-old mom of three, who hosted the reality show “Big Brother UK,” took to social media this week to explain that she’ll be “off the grid” for a short time while she gets treated.
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McCall continued, “And so I slightly put my head in the sand for a while, and then I saw quite a few neurosurgeons. I got lots of opinions, and I realized that I have to get it taken out.”
She described the cyst as being 1.4 centimeters wide in the post, which her partner, celebrity hairstylist Michael Douglas, wrote the caption for.
The caption reads, “Hey everyone. Michael here. @davinamccall will be ‘off grid’ for a bit while she recovers from this brain operation. She is in great shape and in very good hands.
“I’ll I do the odd update from her account here for anyone interested. I’m sure she’ll read all the comments when she’s able to so feel free to send love. The support of people is amazingly powerful. Have a great day everyone. Michael xxx.”
In the footage, McCall also describes that the tumor as being “big for the space, it fills the space, it’s 14mm wide and it needs to come out because if it grows… it would be bad.
“So, I’m having it removed via a craniotomy.”
Briefly describing how the surgery works, McCall said, “They go through the top of my head here, and through the two halves of my brain to the middle, get the cyst, empty it, take it out.”
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McCall, who admitted she was in “good spirits,” added, “I’m going to be in hospital for about nine days, and then I’m going to be going home but I am going to be off my phone for a while.
“So Michael might fill you in and let you guys know how I’m doing. But I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m doing that enough as it is.”
She concluded, “I’m not worrying too much I am in a good space. I have all the faith in the world in my surgeon and his team and I’m handing the reigns over to him, he knows what he’s doing.
“I’m going to do the getting better bit after. I’ll see you on the other side.”
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What is a Colloid Cyst?
According to Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a colloid cysts, which is often symptomatic and found incidentally, “is a benign, fluid-filled sac that arises in the area of the brain known as the third ventricle.”
Common surgical treatment procedures for these type of cysts are shunt placement, craniotomy, and endoscopic craniotomy. In other cases, simple watching and waiting is all that’s needed.
“Filled with a proteinaceous fluid, these growths are considered cysts, not ‘true’ brain tumors. However, they are still categorized as intraventricular tumors, and they may cause symptoms that require intervention,” the center explains.
“Generally, when no cyst is present, cerebrospinal fluid circulates through the brain’s ventricular system, nourishing and cushioning the brain and spinal cord. Colloid cysts may interfere with the body’s ability to maintain the proper balance and circulation of this fluid.”
Additionally, these cysts make up 15 to 20 percent of all masses that develop in the brain’s ventricles.
What is a Craniotomy?
McCall will be having her brain tumor removed via a craniotomy. “It’s a procedure to cut out a tumor, and it can be metastasized or a tumor that started someplace else like the breasts and went to the brain, especially if the tumor is causing symptoms or if it’s large,” Dr. Kimberly Hoang, a board-certified neurosurgeon at Emory University School of Medicine, explained.
Neurosurgeons SurvivorNet previously spoke to say usually, your symptoms will indicate if your metastatic cancer has spread to the brain. An MRI scan can help confirm if this is the case. And in McCall’s case, she doesn’t have cancer, she simply has a cyst that needs to be removed so it doesn’t grow.
“Often, patients have symptoms such as weakness, headache, or seizures. Or some patients don’t have symptoms and brain metastases are discovered on a routine MRI,” explained Dr. Peter Forsyth, the Chairman of the Neuro-Oncology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center and Professor of Oncology at the University of South Florida.
“With breast cancer going to the brain so commonly, sometimes MRIs are done without symptoms,” Dr. Forsyth added.
The MRI helps doctors pinpoint the exact location of the tumor within the skull. Dr. Hoang explains the surgical procedure to remove the tumor involves making an incision near where the tumor is.
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“We take off the bone overlaying the area we need to get to. We open the little envelope around the brain called the dura. Then we move through the brain tissue to get to where the tumor is to try to cut out as much as we can safely without hurting the patient’s function or other important things like big blood vessels that can cause things like a stroke,” Dr. Hoang said.
After the craniotomy, the patient is closely monitored and usually receives radiation to keep the tumor from growing back.
“Because many patients can have more than one brain tumor or metastasis from their cancer, that was not reasonable to think about surgery for; they also get radiation for those spots as well to try to keep those tumors from growing or shrink them down,” Dr. Hoang further explained.
In addition to surgery, other forms of treatment have also seen improvements in brain metastasis treatment. Proven cancer-fighting drugs such as chemotherapies, immunotherapies, and targeted drugs, while effective in many parts of the body, were less effective at treating tumors in the brain due to the blood-brain barrier. The National Cancer Institute describes this barrier as a “network of blood vessels and tissue made up of closely spaced cells and helps keep harmful substances from reaching the brain.”
However, Dr. Hoang tells SurvivorNet that advancements in chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drugs designed to target cancer cells are beginning to make headway even in the brain.
Understanding 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 2023, the ASCO estimated that 24,810 adults (14,280 men and 10,530 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.
Finding Joy While Battling Cancer
When faced with a cancer battle, whether you’re an adult or a child, it can be difficult to focus on life outside of your disease. However, it’s important to remember that your mental state can actually impact your success as a patient.
“I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, also advocates for cancer warriors to prioritize their mental health. She noted that emotional well-being has been studied as a factor in patient outcomes.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Chase told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
“So, working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities.”
According to Dr. Chase says doing things that bring you joy is important, and there’s no right or wrong ways to do so. Paying attention to your emotional health could look like spending time with friends and dancing. Others might turn to painting, writing, watching movies, or playing sports.
Dr. Chase recommends writing down ten things that make you happy and intentionally making the time to do those activities throughout the day.
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“Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making [a] list of the top ten things that bring them joy,” Chase says. “And trying to do those ten things, to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day.”
“Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making [a] list of the top ten things that bring them joy,” Chase says. “And trying to do those ten things, to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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