Latest news with #meningioma
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
St Helens mum's brain tumour found hours before her son's birth
A teacher from Merseyside said she only discovered she had a brain tumour a matter of hours before the birth of her Hayley Burrows suffered a seizure in her sleep while 35 weeks pregnant in April 2023, she was rushed to the Walton Centre in the 36-year-old, from Rainford near St Helens, had a second, more severe seizure while doctors were preparing to discharge her from hospital, Hayley had an MRI scan which revealed a large son Oliver was delivered via emergency Caesarean section while she was under general anaesthetic. Hayley, who works as a special needs teacher, said: "I don't remember meeting Oliver for the first time, which breaks my heart. "It wasn't until two days later that my memory started coming back. I've since been told the tumour was pressing on the memory part of my brain."Experts believe Hayley's meningioma - the most common form of adult primary brain tumour - had likely been growing undetected for more than a decade. Nine weeks after her son's birth, Hayley underwent surgery to remove her meningioma."Leaving Oliver that morning, not knowing if I'd see him again, absolutely broke me," she said."Until then, I'd been on autopilot but when it came time to say goodbye, the fear just flooded in. "Thankfully, the operation went as well as it possibly could have, but recovery was tough."After surgery, Hayley was unable to feed or change Oliver for several weeks. She was also unable to drive for 12 months and needed to be accompanied in case of further seizures."I felt like I'd missed the start of Oliver's life," said Hayley, whose son is now two years old."I was grieving that lost time while trying to heal physically and emotionally." Ashley McWilliams, from Brain Tumour Research, said: "Hayley's story is a powerful reminder of how brain tumours can go unnoticed for years and present with very sudden symptoms."According to the charity, brain tumours can affect people of all are responsible for more deaths of patients aged under 40 than any other form of 12,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour - of which there are more than 100 different types - each number of diagnoses has increased by 11% during the last decade. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Alert over popular type of contraception that could raise risk of brain tumours five-fold - hundreds launch legal action
Hundreds of women in the UK are considering legal action over fears that a widely-used contraceptive jab has put them at risk of a potentially-fatal brain tumour. NHS data suggest there are around 10,000 prescriptions for medroxyprogesterone acetate – known under the brand name Depo Provera – issued every month in England. However, a 2024 study in the British Medical Journal revealed women who used it for more than a year were five times more likely to suffer a meningioma, the most common type of tumour in the brain. An estimated 3,240 people a year in the UK are diagnosed with the condition. The UK drug safety watchdog – the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority – last October called for the jab's manufacturer, the global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, to include a warning about the heightened risk in patient information leaflets. Pfizer also wrote to NHS doctors urging them to immediately stop women from using Depo Provera if they were diagnosed with a meningioma. The drug is a hormone injection give every three months and works by preventing eggs from being released by a woman's ovaries. It was first licensed for use on the NHS as a contraceptive over 40 years ago. But the BMJ study, by a team of scientists from the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety, raised the alarm over the jab's safety. It analysed data on more than 18,000 women in France who underwent surgery for meningioma between 2009 and 2018. Although non-cancerous, the condition can cause blurred vision, headaches, hearing loss, poor sense of smell and problems with swallowing. Tumours are normally slow-growing but can kill by compressing the brain and nerves if they grow too big. Meningiomas develop in the meninges, the membrane that lines the outside of the brain, and are more common in women. The French study showed that while the numbers developing meningioma while using the jab were still small, they were significantly higher than in women not on it. No such increase in risk has been found with other hormonal contraceptives – such as the pill. Around 400 women in the US have so far joined a class action against Pfizer and other generic manufacturers of the jab, alleging that they were aware of the link but failed to adequately warn users of the risks or promote safer alternatives. All the women developed meningiomas after using Depo Provera for at least a year. A hearing in the case is due to take place later this week in Florida, in which a judge is expected to set out a timeline for future proceedings. 'This case is moving at speed and this hearing will bring us closer to achieving justice for women who have never been warned about the increased risk of developing a brain tumour,' said Virginia Buchanan, partner at Levin Papantonio, the law firm handling the case in the US. A leading UK medico-legal expert, who asked not to be identified, said his firm has been approached in recent months by around 200 women who feared the contraceptive jab was to blame for their meningioma diagnosis, or had put them at increased risk of one. It's not yet clear whether there will be a UK class action similar to that in the US, since Britain has a more restrictive approach to group-based litigation cases. However, individual lawsuits are a possibility, the expert said. Dr Noemie Rowland, a GP who led the French study on the links with brain tumours, said women on the jab should have regular scans to see if they had growths developing. 'Neurological monitoring should be the rule in patients over 40 years of age to detect a meningioma as soon as possible,' she said. Pfizer UK said it was unable to comment.
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Dad's holiday ‘overindulgence and exhaustion' was the earliest sign of his killer cancer
A DAD was diagnosed with a brain tumour after dismissing the first signs for holiday "overindulgence and exhaustion". Wayne Lewis, 62, collapsed in the bathroom, unable to move or speak, after a day in the sun during his vacation. 4 4 The dad-of-one "didn't want to ruin the holiday" so decided not to go and see a doctor. But when he returned home to Bridgend, south Wales he continued to experience fatigue, mood changes, veering while walking and blurry vision. Again he dismissed the symptoms for "signs of ageing" but after a stroke four months later he went to hospital but was sent home again after a CT scan and seizure medication. When he woke up two days later paralysed on one side doctors ran another CT scan and an MRI - which revealed a meningioma on Wayne's brain. He underwent a surgery to remove the tumour and now has regular MRI's to monitor his condition. Wayne, a former RAF serviceman, said: "Looking back, I believe the earliest signs began in May 2022, while on holiday. "After a day in the sun, I collapsed in the bathroom. Although I was unable to move or speak, I put the episode down to overindulgence and exhaustion. "I just needed a doctor, but I didn't want to ruin the holiday so, I carried on. "After returning home, things continued to feel off. I experienced unexplained fatigue, mood changes, veering while walking, dropping items from my left hand, and even blurry vision. "I dismissed these as signs of ageing or the effects of a pending cataract operation." I was given a week to live after doctors found a decade-old tumour on my brain After dismissing his symptoms Wayne suffered a stroke in July 2022 - just minutes before setting off to drive his grandson to Cardiff Airport. He said: "I couldn't move or speak, but I could hear everything. I knew I was having a stroke. "I was terrified, but looking back it saved my life, I would never have known I had a brain tumour." Wayne was rushed to Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend by his family - when there were no ambulances available. Following emergency admission Wayne's speech slowly returned and he was sent home the same day following a CT scan with seizure medication. Wayne said: "Just two days later, I woke in the middle of the night completely paralysed on my left side. "Again, no ambulance was available, and I had to be taken to hospital by my family. Once again, the journey was scary, I remember being slumped in the back seat." A further CT scan revealed Wayne had a bleed on his brain. Doctors consulted with the Neurosurgical Department at University Hospital Wales in Cardiff who advised an immediate MRI scan which uncovered a mass on Wayne's brain surrounded by fluid. Wayne had an operation to remove the tumour on August 5, 2022 and although most of the tumour was removed, a small piece was left behind as it was attached to a vital blood vessel. Wayne said: "The day before surgery, my wife and daughter came to the hospital with me. "I think I cried for five minutes solid when they left not knowing if I would see them again. After surgery, when I woke up and heard the words 'it went well', I cried with relief." 4 4 Through support from his physiotherapists and family, Wayne was discharged within days. Three years since initial diagnosis, Wayne continues to go for regular MRI scans and has been focused on recovery and remaining positive. Wayne said: "Brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer, yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002. That has to change." Louise Aubrey, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Wayne's story is a powerful reminder of how cruel and indiscriminate brain tumours can be. His determination to turn personal tragedy into action is truly inspiring. We are so grateful for his support, every step he takes brings us closer to a cure." To spread awareness Wayne is taking part in a month-long challenge - Brain Tumour Research's 200k. Supporters aim to walk 200k over the course of the month to help raise funds for the research, increase awareness, and bring hope to families affected by brain tumours. Louise Aubrey, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Wayne's story is a powerful reminder of how cruel and indiscriminate brain tumours can be. His determination to turn personal tragedy into action is truly inspiring. We are so grateful for his support, every step he takes brings us closer to a cure." To support Wayne's 200k in May challenge or find out more about Brain Tumour Research, visit The most common symptoms of a brain tumour More than 12,000 Brits are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every year — of which around half are cancerous — with 5,300 losing their lives. The disease is the most deadly cancer in children and adults aged under 40, according to the Brain Tumour Charity. Brain tumours reduce life expectancies by an average of 27 years, with just 12 per cent of adults surviving five years after diagnosis. There are two main types, with non-cancerous benign tumours growing more slowly and being less likely to return after treatment. Cancerous malignant brain tumours can either start in the brain or spread there from elsewhere in the body and are more likely to return. Brain tumours can cause headaches, seizures, nausea, vomiting and memory problems, according to the NHS. They can also lead to changes in personality weakness or paralysis on one side of the problem and problems with speech or vision. The nine most common symptoms are: Headaches Seizures Feeling sick Being sick Memory problems Change in personality Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body Vision problems Speech problems If you are suffering any of these symptoms, particularly a headache that feels different from the ones you normally get, you should visit your GP. Source: NHS
