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- • Swelling of the brain can persist after treatments have been completed. Swelling also often accompanies
- recurrent tumors. It can cause neurological deficits and create symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. The
- corticosteroid medication dexamethasone (Decadron) is used to decrease this swelling.
- • A few patients need a very low maintenance dose of corticosteroid hormones even if the tumor is not active or
- has been controlled. In such cases, some of the original symptoms, such as headache, nausea or neurological
- abnormalities, may recur if the steroid hormones are discontinued.
- • Medications are sometimes needed to eliminate nausea and relieve pain.
- • The risk of seizures can persist over the patient's lifetime. Medications are given to prevent this from
- happening. The drugs used most often include phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol) and
- phenobarbital. Blood tests are performed to measure the amount of the drug in the blood. The dose required to
- control seizures varies from patient to patient. Sometimes two different drugs have to be used.
- • Neurologic status may change or deteriorate because of the cascade of secondary effects on the brain rather
- than because of tumor growth. Factors causing apparent neurologic deterioration may include lowering the
- steroid dosage too rapidly, mineral or electrolyte imbalance, complications such as infections or metabolic
- problems, other medications, particularly for pain, and the effects of radiation therapy .
- Tumor destruction from radiation may briefly produce waste products that may irritate the brain. Because
- the brain lacks lymphatic blood vessels, there is no efficient method of removing the waste materials, which is
- why tumors responding to treatment may not appear to change in size for a long time.
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