Questions posted in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Question Title: Trying to help brain tumor patient

Forum: Neurology Forum
Topic: Brain Tumor

Mother 73, has 7 weeks ago been diagnosed with
a secondary brain tumor in the eloquent area of
the brain. What concerns me is that after 5
episodes of radium treatment 4 weeks ago, she is
lethargic to the extent that she just sits or sleeps
all day. S he has no inclination to leave the
house, can't do her crochet or her crosswords
and isn't interested in t.v. Is this a normal
reaction to the situation? Usually she is a vibrant
talkative person.
Sorry I didn't manage to post a
much better explanation last night.
Margaret Rose

Dear Margaret,
without looking at the brain MRI, it is difficult for me to say anything more than the following:
if the brain tumor truly involves the eloquent part of the brain (the language area in the dominant hemisphere, the left in most people) then that can explain why she is less talkative. It is because she has difficulty expressing herself, she may even have difficulty understanding words or written commands. The lethargy and sleepiness probably is due to brain swelling, and hence increased pressure in the skull (brain swelling is common with tumor and can occur after treatment). She should be followed closely to asses the size of the tumor after treatment.
I hope the above information helps.

=

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