Brain Cancer tests?

Question

I'm wondering what would be the most accurate, cheapest test to rule out brain cancer. The three I know of are PET,CAT, and MRI. With MRI being the most expensive I believe. Would a contrast agent be necessary to show possible tumors.

3 yrs ago I was feeling great until one night a lymph node in my neck swelled up pretty big. I had a lot of bloodwork and fecal occult and urinalysis done at a county health clinic. I've had an EKG,echocardiogram,lung xrays and a CAT of my neck with contrast. The CAT discovered "several slightly inlarged lymph nodes" and the lung x-ray found small peripheral blebs on my right lung apex (I read up on this and understand it pretty well).

My symptoms could indicate tumor. I get very lightheaded, weak, confused (can't find simple words in my head), and I get blurry vision slightly. Also my eyes have been horribly bloodshot this whole time. Marijuana intensified the feelings, so I quit almost 3 yrs ago. I'm 30, tall and skinny, and smoke for 16 yrs.

WorriedMother, I truly feel for you and wish your mom the best. Hi Marya, thank you for putting my brain at rest a bit. Noone even suggested a Fine Needle Aspiration and I wasn't aware of the test at that point. I thought that a foreign cancer could cause lymph node flare ups if metastisised and moved through the lymph system. Given my history of tons of inhaled smoke, I thought that maybe the "blebs" on my lung xray could be small tumors and they spread through the lymph.

I was really hoping that my GP could order a usefull test and I could avoid extra costs to specialists. I assume that the same techs would evaluate my results either way. I'm may be medicaid eligible but I have a tough time dealing with the beurocracy when I'm feeling like this.

Would a MRI w/contrast be most precise and would you have any idea of the how much an MRI or CAT of the brain would cost in the USA. I'm not sure what lvl of care you are involved in. Thank You very much for your caring and help.
~Mike

Hi David,

Thank you for your response, I feel for you and your child and I truly wish the best for your family. I just want all you good people who answer to know that I in no way mean to belittle your horrible truths with my speculation. I just want to be proactive and I've been ill for so long with no diagnosis.

Interesting that you would suggest opthamologist as I do have some pain behind my right eye and intermittant blurriness. I'm going to have my eyes checked first and I've heard that raised intracranial pressure can be detected by eye exam.

I have about 2 beers a month and have noticed that I actually feel pretty buzzed off just 1 beer, which is unusual for me.

My headaches seem to actually get better when I lay down, not worse. But I've also read that tumors can cause a wide variety of symptoms depending on location. Many of the other symptoms apply but I know that alot of them can also be caused by stress or anxiety and many other conditions.

Thanks
Mike

Answer 1

Hi!What was the biopsy result of your neck lymph nodes? They are easy to biopsy and would rule out tumor in that area.
Having seen hundreds of brain tumor patients a few comments: brain tumors do not cause neck nodes to swell or eyes to be bloodshot. Confusion can be a sign of brain tumor if it comes like an attack or is constant but -most often when together with lighheadedness, blurry vision and weakness sounds highly unlikely to be brain tumor, rather something else like panic attacks or hyperventilation. Depends also on the level of actual, objective cognitive (brain function) defect.On the basis of your story nobody can make a diagnosis, though -even a tentative one.
A good Neurological history +clinical exam by someone who has experience of brain tumors would be the next step and then a MRI if needed. CAT scan is cheaper and often will rule out brain tumors but is not terribly sensitive for all of them.So, it depends what is suspected on the basis of the history and clinical exam.
So, go and find a Neuro-oncologist first!

Answer 2

Hi Mike,

As the founder of the yahoo group Pediatric Brain Tumors, and a parent of a child who was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in 1998, but with no formal medical training, in my humble opinion, the most common and most informative non-invasive test for a brain tumor is a cranial MRI with contrast.

The test cost around US$1,500 in 1998 and 1999 at the University of Miami.

The second test would be a cranial CAT scan with contrast, but am uncertain of the costs.

Independantly, have you checked your eyes with an opthamologist for conjunctivitis or other eye infections?

Have you consumed any alcoholic beverages presently after stopping marijuana usage?

According to the Merck Manual of Medical Information 2nd Home edition page 458
" Brain Tumor Headache Pain is mild to severe and becomes progressively worse. It usually recurs more and more often and eventually becomes constant without relief. Headaches are often worse when the person lies down and may awaken the person from sleep. A gradually growing tumor causes a headache that is worse when the person first awakens. The new development of such headaches requires medical attention."

Page 521 " Brain tumors may produce a change in personality. For example, a person may become withdrawn, moody, and, often, inefficient at work. A person may feel drowsy, confused, and unable to think. Such symptom are often more apparent to family members and co-workers than to the person. Depression and anxiety, especially if either develops suddenly, may be an early symptom of a brain tumor. Bizarre behavior is unusual. Other common symptoms of a brain tumor include dixxiness, loss of balance, and incoordination. Later, as pressure within the skull increases, nausea, vomitting, lethargy, drowsiness, intermittent fever, and even coma may occur."

It is important you see a Neurologist for the proper clinical tests.

With kind and gentle regards,


David Edge
Founder
Pediatric Brain Tumors and
PBT Angels

Answer 3

The following was copied from an Internet news group.

Why would I rely on your backward methods for diagnosing cancer, that is, with invasive procedures such as biopsies and radiation from CT scans?? Are you aware that when a person has cancer they have elevated levels of hCGH in their urine? This can sometime be detected with a pregnancy test if the hCGH levels are high enough.

Because I had a dozen visible lesions or more and testicular pain, I screened myself with a simple pregnancy test. In my case the levels were high enough to register positive. Since I'm a man, and I had lesions and pain, it was quite obvious that I had cancer.

So once again, the macabre ways you are familiar with for diagnosing and treating cancer patients are unnecessary.

Let me add a caveat, pregnancy tests don't always show positive when a person has cancer because the hCGH levels aren't always high enough. But if they are high enough...bingo! It's a great way to to uncover cancer cheaply and painlessly.

There is a more sophisticated pregnancy test that is about 98% accurate and picks up malignancies six months to two years prior to other methods of screening. The downside to that test right now is that you have to send away for the results and there is a six week turn around on the results.

One more thing. The hCGH conection is yet another piece of evidence that cancer cells are trophoblast cells that have been turned on. It's the unitarian theory of cancer which was first discovered by a Dr. Beard about 100 years ago.

Trophoblast cells release hCGH as a byproduct of its activity. In pregnancy it plays a role in producing life by invasively eating a niche in the uterine wall. In cancer, the same invasiveness causes destruction. But the trophoblast cells can be turned off easily as my own case helps to demonstrate.

In conclusion, in this thread we're discussing the merits of a variety of deadly chemo agents in a case that is so far advanced that the only outcome from the chemo is going to be negative. It's a case of 'pretending' to be doing something. The doctors want to help. Unfortunately their tools aren't suited to the task. But psychologically they must believe, especially when it can be difficult to tell the patient you have nothing to offer them.

Meanwhile, the only methods that work are the ones that turn off the trophoblast cells while supporting the healthy cells....which happen to be the vast majority of the cells. Chemo fails in the latter. And instead of turning off the trophoblast cells, they kill them. It's a recipe for disaster.

Answer 4

Hi my husband had a pituitary tumour removed over 5 years ago and radiation after. This tumour was discovered after he rolled the jeep. Physically he was quite fine after the rollover just a pretty bruised and battered swollen head. Pituitary tumour affect the optic nerves from your eyes and can cause blindness. You can also get sudden seizures from a pituitary tumour. When these tumours develop they affect the hormone release functions. If you're a child when you have a pituitary tumour you could be a dwarf or a giant depending on what hormones are suppressed or over released. In my husband's case it happened after he was an adult and some physical characteristics were larger hands and jaw.

That surgery and radiation was a success although he needs monthly injections of sandostatin now.

Answer 5

i am sorry to hear about your health problems, a doctor found a tumor on my mothers brain about a month ago she has alot of the symptoms you have hers was found from an mri 1 with contrast and 1 without its small now so she has to have scans and mri,s about every 6 months to make sure its not growing as far as i know from what they have told us thats the only test without getting invasive and doing a biopsy, they don't feel my mother needs any invasive techniques now i wish you the best and pray for you that it is not a tumor and that you will get better

Answer 6

No at home test will diagnose a brain tumor. If you are having unusual symptoms go see your doctor.

Answer 7

This would be a very good question to put to a neurologist, after you have handed him or her all your test results.

Answer 8

i thank that the mri would tell you the most.i shure hope you dont have that...