Pineoblastoma

Pineoblastoma is a cancerous (malignant) brain tumor in your pineal gland. This type of cancer grows quickly and can spread to tissue and fluid around your brain.

What is the pineal gland?

The pineal gland is a tiny, pinecone-shaped gland in the middle of your brain. This gland secrets the hormone melatonin, which helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are changes that your body makes to follow a 24-hour cycle. This helps you stay awake during the day and fall asleep at night.

What type of cancer is pineoblastoma?

Pineoblastoma is a fast-growing tumor in your brain. Healthcare providers might also refer to this as a grade 4 intracranial brain tumor. You might also hear it called a malignant tumor, which means it’s cancerous.

How common is pineoblastoma?

Pineoblastoma is very rare. Pineal gland brain tumors account for less than 0.2% of all brain tumors diagnosed in the United States. This type of cancer is most common among children or people younger than 20 years old but it can affect anyone at any age.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

Living with atrial fibrillation?

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