20 June 2018
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog

Radiation is a frightening issue that can cause serious health risks when it mutates the cells of your body. One frightening situation it causes is the development of brain cancer. However, radiation and brain cancer have a rather complex relationship that should be well understood before you get treatment.

Yes, Radiation May Cause Brain Cancer

Hundreds of studies over the years have confirmed that radiation is a serious cause of brain cancer. In fact, it is currently the only known definite risk factor beyond genetic predisposition. It causes both types of tumors, including menigiomas and malignant tumors, and can be very scary. Some types will form very large tumors that disrupt the operation of significant portions of your body, while others will spiderweb through your brain and cause massive issues.

And while radiation is definitely a cancer-causing problem, not all types will actually mutate your brain cells. The only types that can cause cancer are ionizing radiation. This type of cancer is common in certain medical procedures, such as x-rays. They are also possible in other types of machines that use gamma rays. And no: cell phones probably don't give you brain cancer.

And while your doctor may protect you with a lead sheet during these procedures, a minor amount of radiation may still come through. And while your cancer risk is very low, it could still happen and require a specialized use of radiation to help you survive.

How Radiation May Help

While excessive exposure to certain types of radiation may have caused your brain tumor, it may also help to kill them. The same kind of ionizing rays that initially mutated the cells in your brain can also be focused directly on the tumor to kill or slow its growth. This type of therapy is often paired with the use of chemotherapy to ensure it works properly.

The risk of developing more tumors as a result of this radiation treatment is possible. However, it isn't as likely to happen a second time. The random mutation of brain cells via x-rays and other types of radiation is always rather random, and the concentrated blasts that treatment specialists use are attacking already mutated cells. Therefore, you're not going to get new tumors.

But if you're concerned about the dangers of x-rays or other types of radiation, talk to a brain cancer center right away. They can assess your risk for developing serious brain tumors and might even be able to spot minor problems before they become too serious.