Symptoms of brain tumours

New statistics suggest the number of people diagnosed with brain tumours has risen by 30% in the last 20 years.

According to data from Public Health Scotland, the number has risen from 822 in 2000/02, to 1,069 in 2017/19. “These worrying figures show just how urgently we need to act on this devastating and life-changing disease,” said Dr David Jenkinson, the Brain Tumour Charity’s chief scientific officer.

Just 12% of UK adults survive for five years after a brain tumour diagnosis, with the disease continuing to reduce life expectancy by 27 years on average – the highest of any cancer. So what are those potential symptoms?

1. Seizures

If you have a fit or a seizure out of the blue, you should go to A&E.

2. Weakness of the face/arm/leg on one side of the body

Such weakness may come on suddenly, like a stroke, or may become more noticeable gradually over a few weeks, for example dragging your leg or tripping over kerbs because you don’t seem to be able to lift your foot up properly.

3. Marked speech disturbance

Slurred speech, being unable to find your words or coming out with the wrong words. Struggling to find a word sometimes is normal but it would become worrying if it was becoming steadily worse over a period of weeks or months.

4. Personality change

People who have a brain tumour may become steadily more withdrawn or confused over a period of a few months, or struggle with tasks they used to be able to do.

5. Vision changes

Sometimes, tumours in the brain reduce our ability to see objects to one side. This might cause people to bump into doorframes, not be able to see someone sitting on the left or right side, or clip the wing mirrors of parked cars if driving.

6. Difficulty reading

You may notice you’re increasingly struggling to write emails or send texts, or to work out what subtitles or words in a book say – you may be able to see the words clearly, but the brain refuses to interpret them or make sense of them.

7. Headaches

It’s relatively unusual for headaches to be the only symptom. Worrying headaches are those which are worse over a period of two to three months. thebraintumourcharity.org