About Cerebral Tumors
A brain tumor is formed when a cluster of abnormal cells forms a mass. The mass can potentially invade surrounding tissue causing varying degrees of impairment. The effects of a brain tumor are completely dependent on its size, location and extent of swelling. The cerebral tumor is a type of brain tumor. It can either be benign or malignant (life threatening); either of which can only be determined through a biopsy.
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What is a Cerebral Tumor?
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A cerebral tumor is also referred to as an "intracranial tumor.". In the book "Hughes' Practice of Medicine" author Daniel E. Hughes explains that a cerebral tumor presents itself within blood vessels, membrane or tissue of the cerebral hemisphere.
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Types of Cerebral Tumors
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The solitary tubercle is the most common cerebral tumor. The "Handbook of Practical Medicine, Volume 2" written by Hermann Eichhorst reports that the solitary tubercle is a cerebral tumor that often occurs during childhood. The solitary tubercle favors the gray matter of the brain and has a texture that is described as "cheesy." Other common types of cerebral tumors are the carcinoma, glioma, sarcoma, gumma and cyst.
Causes of Cerebral Tumors
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The cause of cerebral brain tumors remains undetermined. But researchers believe that there are certain risk factors that can increase the likelihood that a person will develop a cerebral brain tumor, according to MedicineNet.com. For instance, men have more of a tendency to develop some types of cerebral brain tumors while women have a tendency to develop others. According to MedicineNet.com, race, age and family history also plays in role in the development of cerebral brain tumors. It is also important to note that chemical exposure also appears to be associated with the development of cerebral tumors; especially, exposure to vinyl chloride, radiation, formaldehyde and a colorless liquid known as "acrylonitrile".
Symptoms of Cerebral Tumors
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The initial symptoms of a brain tumor located in the cerebral hemisphere are often headaches and seizures. The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) reveals that many patients have no idea that they even have a brain tumor until they are stricken with their first seizure. Full-blown seizures or focal seizures that affect the senses and speech may occur. Some patients experience behavioral changes and memory loss with the development of a tumor and some patients may even begin to experience nausea, fatigue and vision problems as the tumor begins to grow. The specific symptoms associated with a tumor, such as those that affect hearing and vision, can help physicians determine the location of the cerebral tumor within the brain.
Treatments of Cerebral Tumors
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The treatment of cerebral tumors, or any type of brain tumor for that matter, requires the skills and expertise of a neurosurgeon and high-tech instruments. Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurological Services explains that surgical removal is always the preferred form of treatment for tumors, but the location of a tumor can sometimes make surgery impossible. When this happens, other forms of treatment such as, radiation are utilized. Laser microsurgery, ultrasonic aspiration and chemotherapy are also treatment options for cerebral tumors. In some cases, a combination of several different treatments may be used to treat a cerebral tumor.
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- Photo Credit "Shifting Gray Matter" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: npmusikchild (Noemi Perez) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
