Learn more about brain tumors
On Nov. 29, 2012, my life changed. I suffered a seizure, a big one. I did not know what hit me.
Over the next couple of weeks, I learned that I, unfortunately, had a brain tumor known as a low grade glioma – more specifically, an oligodendroglioma. But, fortunately, the long-term outlook for me is fairly bright.
As a primary care physician, I realized that I did not know a lot of detail on brain tumors. They are not particularly common, and of them, the really bad ones are the type that I occasionally see. Since November 2012, I have learned quite a bit.
There are more than 120 types of brain tumors. Nearly 700,000 people in the United States are living with one. About 80,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, and this year, about 17,000 people will die as a result of a brain tumor. Though these tumors are less common than other malignancies, there is a reasonable chance that you are, or have been acquainted with someone who has been affected by brain tumors.
May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month. As a brain tumor survivor myself, I am hoping to motivate at least a few people to learn more. Two national organizations are wonderful sources of information: The National Brain Tumor Society, at www.braintumor.org; and the American Brain Tumor Association, at www.abta.org. It should be noted that I am a volunteer with the latter organization.
Douglas T. Corwin Jr.
East Washington