Cancer is dubbed as a silent killer
The fear around the life threatening disease, cancer, is high. Dubbed as a silent killer, it is believed and seen in many cases that the disease is diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease.
It is a common perception that cancer symptoms do not appear until its too late. However, research advancements and medical history of patients have shed light on initial yet subtle signs of the disease.
People can spot the disease by just being a bit careful about their health.
Clumsy walking style can indicate unwanted tumours are growing inside the body
Several health reports say that ataxia or the disorder that affects the balance and coordination in the body is also caused by cancerous growth.
In ataxia, the muscles become less responsive to the brain and do not coordinate properly.
Acquired ataxia can be a potential symptom of brain tumors as during a cancerous growth the cerebellum of the brain is damaged thus affecting the control, coordination and locomotion in the body.
The case of a 67-year-old white woman
The case of a 67 year old woman presents a clear picture of ataxia and its role in cancer.
She had a 3-day history of headache, severe imbalance, nausea, and binocular double vision limiting her mobility. She also had hypertension, coronary artery disease, aortic stenosis (mild), left ear cholesteatoma, and mastoiditis.
She had a 6-week history of pelvic pain and was diagnosed with a 4 cm lump near the uterus.
Biopsy of the pelvic mass revealed adenocarcinoma
The details of the case have been published in the Archives of Proceeding of Baylor University Medical Center.
Ataxia is the result of cancerous growth in…
As per reports, ataxia is triggered by the immune system response to a cancerous tumor commonly from the lungs, ovarian or breast cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma.
A MayoClinic report says that ataxia can occur months or even years before the cancerous growth is diagnosed.
How to detect if it is ataxia or not?
The common symptoms of ataxia are: poor balance and coordination in hands, arms and legs, slurring of speech, walking with feet widely apart from each other, difficulty in writing, problem while eating and slow eye movements.
Ataxia is diagnosed through lab tests, genetic testing, and magnetic resonance imaging.
What are the other causes of ataxia?
Ataxia is also caused by alcohol, heavy medication, toxins, vitamin deficiency, thyroid problem, stroke, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diseases, infections, severe COVID, abnormalities in the brain, head trauma and cerebral palsy.
Other forms of ataxia
Apart from the acquired ataxia, there are several other types of this disorder.
Sensory ataxia develops when there is a loss of a person's sense of relative positioning of the body parts. It affects the posture of the person and the person tends to take stomping gaits while walking.
In vestibular ataxia the person experiences vertigo, unsteadiness, nausea and vomiting. It happens due to nerve damage in ear.
Hereditary ataxia is a result of a different genetic composition.
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