New Research Study: benign brain tumors less likely with high blood sugar

I’ve always thought that obesity and diabetes were risk factors for meningioma.

But the results of a research study in The British Journal of Cancer reports findings that contradict that belief and previous studies. Here’s a link to the abstract:  http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/bjc2016157a.html

Science Daily highlighted this contradiction writing “In a surprising twist, benign brain tumors that have previously been tied to obesity and diabetes are less likely to emerge in those with high blood sugar, new research has found.”
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160620100649.htm

The Science Daily article provided context noting that “… previous research had established that the slow-growing tumors are more common among people who are obese and those who have diabetes, researchers led by The Ohio State University's Judith Schwartzbaum set out to look for a relationship between meningiomas and blood markers, including glucose.”

This relationship made sense to me as a non-scientist and a meningioma survivor: if I lead an unhealthy lifestyle, I could get whacked with a brain tumor. The unexpected finding seems to have also confused Schwartzbaum who said: "It's so unexpected. Usually diabetes and high blood sugar raises the risk of cancer, and it's the opposite here."

And she should know, Schwartzbaum is an associate professor of epidemiology and a researcher in Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

This confusion or unexpected result has dampened my sense of control, or at least my hope that I can improve my odds of avoiding a meningioma reoccurrence by doing what I thought made sense – staying thin. Now another weapon/practice/solution has been deleted from my arsenal.

Arrggghhh!

Copyright: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/profile_kwanchaichaiudom'>kwanchaichaiudom / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Chief Complaint, Brain Tumor

I once had somebody smart tell me that a good way to sort deal with a difficult situation is to get it out of your head by writing it down.

And while I couldn’t get my brain tumor out of my head by writing it down, I found that writing about my tumor (meningioma) helped me deal with it.

I generally tell folks that while there is nothing funny about having a brain tumor, like Roberto Benigni’s movie, Life is Beautiful, this book explains how I used humor to remain sane when faced with the insanity of a brain tumor the size of my wife’s fist.

The story loosely chronicles the first year I spent addressing tumor-related health issues: preparing for the (first) operation, having a skull infection, having the infected portion of my skull removed, undergoing rehab and radiation treatment, and learning to live with my “new normal” (the words “new normal” are the medical community’s code words for “you’re alive so quit complaining”).

More important than the details of my health woes, however, were my emotional reactions to those events.  As my health changed, so did my sense of humor. It started out superficially light-hearted prior to the first operation; transmogrified into gallows humor after several operations; and leveled out as somewhat wry-ish after radiation and significant rehab. You will see this in my often embarrassing interactions with friends, family and medical professionals of all shapes and sizes.

Should you for some strange reason want to know more or (gasp!) buy it, here’s some links:

http://www.chief-complaint.com/

 

http://www.amazon.com/Chief-Complaint-Brain-John-Kerastas/dp/0865349088/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351092114&sr=1-1&keywords=kerastas

http://www.sunstonepress.com/cgi-bin/bookview.cgi?_recordnum=768

 

Put Down the Fork & Step away from the Table: “Overweight, obesity may increase brain tumor risk”

Here’s something I didn’t expect, according to the results of a new study carried out by Gundula Behrens, PhD, of the University of Regensburg in Germany, being overweight/ obesity may increase brain tumor risk.

I first read about this study in MedicalNewsToday.com an article written by Yvette Brazier - http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/299478.php.

I, like many brain tumors victims, have often wondered (and maybe have been obsessed) with the question of “Why me?” Why did I get a brain tumor? What did I do (wrong)?

One possible answer seems to be identified by key subhead in Brazier’s article which screams out that “Obesity linked to 54% increased risk of meningioma development.”

My first question was “Is this the preliminary finding of result of one small sample research project? The answer is "NO" now as Brazier points out that “Behrens carried out a meta-analysis of 18 studies, looking at all the available data on body mass index (BMI) and physical activity relating to 2,982 meningioma cases and 3,057 glioma cases.”

Hmmm, I then looked at the correlation: “54%” That’s a relatively big number. A number worth remembering and paying attention too.

Want to know more? Here’s a link to the Journal of Neurology abstract: http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2015/09/16/WNL.0000000000002020

“The Brain Tumor Is Benign, but Threats Remain”

That’s the headline of a New York Times article by Emily Dwass about the misconception that a “benign” means, well, “benign”, as in “not causing death or serious injury” (according to the Merriam Webster online dictionary).

For meningioma brain tumor victims this is, of course, horseshit.

Dwass goes on to put a lie to that myth saying, “In the frightening world of brain a tumor, 'benign' is a good word to hear. But even a nonmalignant tumor can be dangerous — especially if, as in my case, it goes undetected, becoming a stealth invader.”

She goes on to talk about her initial diagnosis, operation and ongoing tumor troubles in her well-written article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/27/the-brain-tumor-is-benign-but-threats-remain/?_r=0

For meningioma brain tumor sufferers, the insult to significant injury is that when you tell friends, family and business associates that you’re tumor is “benign”, they mistakenly think that you’re going to be all right, just as you were, normal.

One terrific website for victims and caregivers alike is http://www.itsjustbenign.org/ which connects benign brain tumor survivors and caregivers. If you read the survivor stories, you soon find yourselves learning about victims that can no longer work, that have parts of their body that no longer work or the hard work they endure every day just to eat, drink and sleep.

I also recommend that you read Liz Holzemer’s well-written book “Curveball: When Life Throws You a Brain Tumor.” You can read my review here: http://johnstumor.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-review-curveball-when-life-throws.html 

Holzemer also started a terrific nonprofit entitled "Meningioma Mammas" whose mission is to provide support and resources to all those affected by meningioma brain tumors: http://www.meningiomamommas.com/

Unfortunately, I can state with the pain of experience that they are a serious pain-in-the-ass. Actually, that’s not quite correct; they’re more like a pain in the head. I’ve wrote about my own personal brain tumor in “Chief Complaint, Brain Tumor”. http://www.chief-complaint.com/

No Scar Brain Surgery (through your nose)

Yes, you read that right.  The Cleveland Clinic has made a video about its performing brain tumor which doesn’t leave a scar: http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/bb198f291d32ce8e85cac02ad7cd299d.htm

 

I’ve always thought of the brain tumor surgery scar as insult to injury: as you’re recovering from brain surgery, you’ve got to walk around with this nasty scar that shouts “This guy’s brain damaged!”.

I had brain surgery and, as you can see, have a big honking scar.

But the Dr. Raj Sindwani of the Cleveland Clinic was able to perform surgery on Robert Matthews’ meningioma brain tumor by sticking instruments up through his nose (now that just sounds painful) without leaving the big honking scar that I got. Since many meningioma victims are women, that whole scar thing is especially insulting, if not demeaning, to them.

You can read a very short blurb about it here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/bb198f291d32ce8e85cac02ad7cd299d.htm