A University of Georgia student who had a brain hemorrhage during spring break in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, died
Friday after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.
Liza Burke initially felt she had a headache and tried to sleep it off, but her friends discovered her unconscious about
five hours later while on vacation in March, her relatives said. She was eventually transferred to the Mayo Clinic in
Jacksonville, where doctors diagnosed her with a brain tumor.
Dr. Rabih Tawk, a neurosurgeon, says headaches are a regular warning sign.
“Several symptoms exist, including severe headaches that intensify with activity and occur at night or early in the
morning. Changes in motor function, such as weakness in an immobile arm or a weakened leg. “Or changes in
sensory function, such as numbness and tingling,” Tawk explained.
The four most frequent forms of brain tumors are metastatic, meningioma, glioblastoma, and astrocytoma. However,
glioblastoma, also known as grade four astrocytoma, is the most lethal and can kill in less than six months.
“It spreads swiftly. “By the time we find it and do imaging, it has already spread beyond what we see on the imaging,”
Tawk explained. “It destroys the brain tissue and every area has a function and loses those functions progressively,”
Tawk went on to say.
According to the American Cancer Society, over 19,000 people will die from brain and spinal cord tumors, with
slightly more than 11,000 men and approximately 8,000 women.
Tawk suggests that living a healthy lifestyle and listening to your body are the most effective ways to reduce your
risk. It’s important to prioritize your health and not put it off.
