• Question: Can anti biotics cure or at least decrease the size of a brain tumor

    Asked by kamalkete to Jack, Tom, Yalda on 20 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: Yalda Javadi

      Yalda Javadi answered on 20 Mar 2013:

      No. A brain tumors happens when some of your brain cells start growing wierdly. The treatment for a brain tumor is generally to have surgery to remove the tumor or if its too risky to remove, to try and kill the tumor with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can weaken the immune sytem, which means you’re more likely to get bacterial infections…. in this case antibiotics will help. To kill the bacterial infection, not the tumor.

    • Photo: Tom Branson

      Tom Branson answered on 20 Mar 2013:

      Yeah Yalda is right. Antibiotics only work against infections of bacteria.

      Lots of people think that antibiotics can cure anything, but this is wrong. This leads to problems when people take antibiotics for things when they will not help at all, this is one reason why some bacteria are starting to become antibiotic resistent.

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 20 Mar 2013:

      Antibiotics probably wouldn’t help but they can help with other brain problems. When you have meningitis, the membrane around your brain swells to protect it from infection – but that can be dangerous. Antibiotics can kill the bugs that trigger the swelling. Hurrah for happy brains and dead bugs. And if you’d like to know what a meninges looks like, click here- but be warned it is a bit gruesome! http://anatomy.wikispaces.com/Meninges

    • Photo: Jack Heal

      Jack Heal answered on 21 Mar 2013:

      I think the other guys have covered this answer brilliantly! Aintibiotics kill bacteria, and certainly don’t solve everything. Claire, that was really interesting! Gross picture though!

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