Hi,
Find out how extensive the disease is and your options. It would be best if he is seen by a team of doctors to
weigh what options are available. Primary brain cancers are best discussed on a case-to-case basis, to
determine prognosis.
As to the cause of death, this would depend on the actual location of the tumor and the areas of the brain
that would be affected. The tumor causes a mass or compression effect and hence areas of the brain required
for normal function are compromised. Among the more serious are the centers for respiration – with respiratory
arrest as a cause of death. For most cases, the mass effect renders the patient progressively somnolent, and
hence coma generally occurs before respiratory arrest. Some cases may present with seizures and complications
with airway obstruction during the seizure may cause the demise. It would be a good idea to be prepared to
handle a seizure, placing the patient in the proper position would prevent choking on his own tongue.
