Six little known brain tumour warning signs revealed after Annabel Giles died just four months after diagnosis
TV presenter Annabel Giles has died aged 64 after a battle with an ‘aggressive’ brain tumor diagnosed just four months ago, her family announced last night.
The actress was best known for co-presenting ITV’s Posh Frocks and New Trousers with Sarah Greene and also appeared on a number of panel and reality shows over the years.
In July, she was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, a type of fast-growing brain tumor that can have a life expectancy of just a few months after it is detected.
Annabel underwent brain surgery and radiotherapy and became ‘passionate’ about raising awareness of her condition as part of a ‘lifelong commitment to helping others’.
About 2,500 people are diagnosed with glioblastoma in the UK each year, while in the US the figure is 12,000.
Here, MailOnline reveals the warning signs of a glioblastoma brain tumor.
Brain tumors can cause personality changes, especially if they are located in the frontal lobe of the brain, which regulates personality and emotions. It can also cause communication problems, seizures and fatigue
Annabel on Good Morning Britain in London last year, before she was diagnosed with a brain tumor
Personality changes
As a brain tumor swells and grows, it puts pressure on the healthy brain cells around it, which can affect brain function.
This can cause personality changes, especially if the tumor is in the frontal lobe of the brain, which regulates personality and emotions.
Common changes in temperament include increased irritability, aggression, confusion and forgetfulness, as well as mood swings and a lack of interest and motivation.
If the tumor grows close to the pituitary gland, it can cause changes in hormone levels. According to the Brain Tumor Charity, this can have a major impact on emotions and sex drive.
Fatigue
Brain tumors can cause extreme fatigue, leading to muscle pain, exhaustion after performing small tasks and sleeping too much.
Fatigue can make it harder to make decisions, think clearly and can cause anxiety or depression.
That’s because growing a tumor and the body’s response to it involves the destruction of tumor cells and tissue repair, which takes a lot of energy, says the Brain Tumor Charity.
This means that your body works harder and spends the energy normally required for daily tasks fighting the tumor.
But this fatigue can also be caused by trying to overcome difficulties in remembering and solving problems, which can also sap energy.
Communication problems
Forgetting words, losing the thread of a conversation, or having difficulty speaking are all signs of communication problems.
As many as one in five people with a brain tumor also experience this symptom, although it depends on where their tumor is located, says the Brain Tumor Charity.
The frontal lobe is involved in language production and the temporal lobe is involved in understanding language. If a tumor is in one of these locations, pressure from the tumor is likely to cause problems.
If it is located in the left hemisphere of the brain, it can cause language and speech problems, according to the charity, as this is where the language areas are typically located.
Memory problems
Problems remembering things, both long-term and short-term, can be caused by a brain tumor or its treatment.
The Brain Tumor Charity estimates that half of patients will experience these symptoms.
It can cause the loss of memories formed before the tumor formed or treatment began. The tumor can also cause problems recalling memories after you have had a brain tumor or its treatment.
Annabel Giles previously starred in a series of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here
She went on to star as a panelist on numerous entertainment shows such as Have I Got News For You and Through The Keyhole. Pictured: Annabel Giles appears on ITV’s Good Morning Britain in August 2019
If the tumor is in the frontal or temporal lobe, a person is more likely to experience memory loss.
The symptoms can also be caused by treatment if a surgeon has to remove cells responsible for memory.
To attack
According to the Brain Tumor Charity, up to two in three people with a brain tumor will experience epilepsy or a brain tumor attack.
It is the most common first symptom leading to the diagnosis of a brain tumor in adults.
A seizure happens when there is a burst of abnormal electrical activity that disrupts the way the brain normally works.
If you have repeated seizures, you may be diagnosed with brain tumor-related epilepsy.
When most people think of a seizure, they imagine a convulsive seizure, in which a person loses consciousness, their limbs jerk, and the body becomes stiff.
But there are many types of attacks. They can cause a feeling of deja vu, strange tastes and smells, a feeling of alienation and strange visions such as seeing flashing lights.
Vision problems
Brain tumors can cause several vision problems, such as vision loss, dry eyes, double vision and light sensitivity.
One in three people with a brain tumor report problems with their vision, says the Brain Tumor Charity.
It may be caused by the position of the tumor. For example, if the tumor causes swelling on the optic disc at the back of the eye, it can cause vision problems.
A growing tumor can also squeeze healthy brain tissue, including the major cranial nerves in the brain.
This can cause pressure on the optic nerve, affecting your vision.