Though the Tragically Hip musician has responded well to surgery and treatment thus far, Downie’s cancer is incurable. Other symptoms can depend on where the tumour is located - for example, a patient could have sensory symptoms like blurred vision or speech difficulties. Other symptoms include motor weakness, headaches, cognitive impairment, nausea and vomiting. What are the symptoms of this kind of brain cancer?įor Downie, the sign of trouble came in the form of a seizure and it’s one symptom of glioblastomas (and other types of brain tumour). Downie has received both radiation and chemotherapy as treatment and while his type of cancer is aggressive, it has responded well. Perry remarked that the biomarkers on the singer’s tumour indicated it’s of a type that is generally more responsive to treatment and comes with a better chance of longer-term survival. That work revealed that there are four distinct genetic subtypes of the cancer, and those types all respond differently to treatment.ĭuring the news conference, Dr. And it is known that glioblastomas are more common in men, adults aged 50 or older, and people of Caucasian or Asian ancestry, according to the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.īecause it’s such a deadly type of cancer, glioblastomas were the first type of brain tumour sequenced as part of the Cancer Genome Atlas. However, some research has indicated that the cancer is related to an as-yet-unknown genetic mutation. There are a few occupational risks - for example, among firefighters working in hazardous materials units - but even that increased risk is limited, Dr. The cause of 99 per cent of these glioblastomas is unknown, Dr.
Senator Ted Kennedy and Beau Biden, the son of Vice-President Joe Biden, also had gliomas, and in both their cases the cancer was fatal.
This type of tumour generally develops in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain, and Downie’s in particular is in the left temporal lobe. Glioblastoma is a type of cancer that originates in the brain and is called a glioma, which refers to a cancer formed in the glial (supportive) brain cells as opposed to the neurons. The type of malignant brain tumour Downie was diagnosed with is called glioblastoma or GBM, which makes up the 12 to 15 per cent of all types of brain tumours, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. These masses can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Here are five things to know about brain cancer, and Downie’s specific diagnosis.Ī brain tumour, most simply, is a mass of abnormal cells growing in the brain. There are more than 120 types of brain and central nervous system tumours, according to the National Brain Tumour Society. James Perry of Sunnybrook hospital said at a news conference in Toronto on Tuesday morning. He has since had surgery that removed a large portion of the cancer, along with six weeks of treatment with radiation and chemotherapy, and is currently doing well, neuro-oncologist Dr. But “brain cancer” is a term that encompasses a variety of different diagnoses, with a range of prognosis from very promising to terminal.ĭownie, 52, had a seizure in his hometown of Kingston, Ont., and as a result he was diagnosed in December with a deadly form of brain cancer. The album will be released as a double album, with electric and acoustic versions of the LP’s 10 songs.The Tragically Hip, announced Tuesday morning that lead singer Gord Downie has terminal brain cancer.
“Useless Nights” captures a somewhat similar vibe, although its slightly more streamlined toward an epic alt-rock apex where Downie belts, “Everybody needs it/Needs to be understood/Whether we’re jumping shadows/between the secret moon it’s trying/and it’s really, really, really, really good/Ah please be good to me/Yeah please save me from the useless nights.”ĭownie recorded Away Is Mine in July 2017, just months before his death following a battle with brain cancer in October of that year. Downie’s voice too is often washed in effects as he sings, “I just live and do/Congratulations to me or to you/I’m a man/re-receive achieve then lose/A hotel worth of meaning/I just don’t understand.” “Hotel Worth” swings between the serene and the unsettling, with acoustic guitar and lonesome slide licks reverberating over atmospheric percussion. The label has shared two songs from the LP, “Hotel Worth” and “Useless Nights.” Late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie’s first posthumous album, Away Is Mine, will be released October 16th via Arts & Crafts.
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