- A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow in the brain and group together to form a tumor. Tumors can also result from cancer that has spread to the brain from other parts of the body. Tumors commonly affect the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain; the cerebellum, located at the base of the skull; and the brain stem, the lower part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord. Brain tumors can be cancerous or non-cancerous. Despite the type, if a tumor is affecting your health, it will need to be removed or treated.
- Symptoms of brain tumors may include headaches, seizures, numbness or loss of motion in a leg or arm, hearing loss, dizziness, difficulty with speech, trouble with balance, memory loss, confusion, loss of vision or double vision. Some people experience nausea or vomiting that is more severe in the morning. Headaches also tend to be more severe in the morning. The type of symptoms depends upon the tumor location.
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Brain tumors are classified as primary tumors or secondary tumors. There are several types of gliomas, the most common form of primary brain tumor. These tumors form in the brain's supportive tissues. Brain stem gliomas, astrocytomas, ependyomas, oligodendrogliomas are all glial tumors. Brain stem gliomas form in the lowest part of the brain, the brain stem, while astrocytomas occur most commonly in the cerebrum in adults and in the cerebellum and cerebrum in children. Ependymomas, most common in children and teenagers, form in the ventricles and spinal cord. Oligodendrogliomas are rare tumors usually found in the cerebrum.
Other types of primary brain tumors include medulloblastomas, which occur primarily in children, and meningiomas, which occur in the meninges, the membrane layers that cover the brain and spinal cord. Secondary tumors occur when cancer spreads from other areas of the body to the brain. Metastatic kidney, skin, lung, colon, bowel and breast cancers can cause brain tumors. -
If your doctor suspects that you may have a brain tumor, you will be referred to a neurologist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders and diseases affecting the brain, spinal cord and nervous system. The neurologist will check your coordination, reflexes, vision and hearing, as a brain tumor may affect these things.
Your neurologists may ask you to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or computerized tomography (CAT) scan, as both tests provide detailed images of the brain. Positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are helpful in measuring tumor activity and blood flow in the brain. An angiogram, a special X-ray performed after dye has been injected in to the body, can help doctors detect any problems or tumors around the arteries. In some cases, a biopsy of the tumor will be needed to determine the appropriate treatment. During a biopsy, a small sample of the tumor is removed during a surgical procedure. - Surgery is recommended if the tumor can be safely removed without causing any damage to the brain. In some cases, the tumor cannot be removed or only part of it can be removed. In these cases, radiation and chemotherapy treatments are used to help shrink the tumor. During radiation therapy, a high dose of radiation is aimed at the head, to kill cancerous cells, while chemotherapy is used to kill cells with special medications. There are numerous clinical trials dedicated to finding new treatments for brain tumors. If you are interested in joining a trial, take a look at the National Cancer Institute's Clinical Trial search page. You will find the link in the Resources section of this article.
