TV star Davina McCall has told how a chance check-up led her to a brain tumour diagnosis. The Masked Singer judge and TV presenter was being operated on to remove a 14mm brain tumour found during a health check she was given after doing a talk on the menopause for a company.
The presenter who is known for a range of shows including Big Brother and Long Lost Families, told of her concerns to her Instagram followers but still managed to laugh with her partner Michael Douglas as she explained what was happening to her. She explained how the tumour was picked up during the routine check which she thought she would "ace".
She said her tumour was benign - or non-cancerous - she said she had been told leaving it could be "bad" if it was to grow. But what is a brain tumour and how do you know if you could have one?
What is a brain tumour?
A brain tumour is a growth of cells in the brain that multiplies in an abnormal, uncontrollable way, reports Wales Online. The NHS explains there are two types of brain tumour - non-cancerous, or benign, such as Davina's, or cancerous, or malignant.
Brain tumours are graded according to how fast they grow and how likely they are to grow back after treatment. Grade 1 and 2 tumours are low grade, and grade 3 and 4 tumours are high grade.
There are 2 main types of brain tumours. These are:
- non-cancerous (benign) brain tumours – these are low grade (grade 1 or 2), which means they grow slowly and are less likely to return after treatment
- cancerous (malignant) brain tumours – these are high grade (grade 3 or 4) and either start in the brain (primary tumours) or spread into the brain from elsewhere (secondary tumours); they're more likely to grow back after treatment
Brain tumour symptoms
Brain tumour symptoms can vary depending on which part of the brain affected. Common symptoms include:
- vision or speech problems
- headaches
- persistently feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and drowsiness
- seizures (fits)
- mental or behavioural changes, such as memory problems or changes in personality
- progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
Benign brain tumour
A benign (non-cancerous) brain tumour's symptoms will depend on its size and where it is in the brain. The NHS says: "Some slow-growing tumours may not cause any symptoms at first. When symptoms occur, it's because the tumour is putting pressure on the brain and preventing a specific area of the brain from working properly."
Common symptoms include:
- new, persistent headaches – which are sometimes worse in the morning or when bending over or coughing
- vision problems – such as blurred vision, double vision, loss of part of the visual field (hemianopia), and temporary vision loss
- drowsiness
- feeling sick all the time
- epileptic fits (seizures) – which may affect the whole body, or you may just have a twitch in one area
When you should see a doctor
According to the NHS: "See a GP if you have these types of symptoms, particularly if you have a headache that feels different from the type of headache you usually get, or if headaches are getting worse. You may not have a brain tumour, but these types of symptoms should be checked."
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