Brain Cancer

Brain cancer is an abnormal growth of nerve tissue or other nerve-related tissue within the confines of the brain. Brain cancer can be formed from blood vessels and membranes within the brain and can put pressure on the existing brain tissue or can come from brain tissue itself. In some cases, there can be a brain tumor which is metastatic from another body area such as the lung or breast. Not all tumors of the brain are cancerous. Cancerous tumors often grow aggressively, taking up space within the brain and causing the brain to swell. Death ultimately occurs when the brain begins to bleed or when the size of the tumor is so big that the brain pushes through the foramen magnum at the level of the brainstem.

Cancerous tumors of the brain grow much more aggressively and invade brain tissue than does a brain tumor. A benign brain tumor can be removed with complete resolution of symptoms if the brain tumor is not too big. Brain cancer often cannot be killed, even with aggressive surgery to remove the cancerous tissue. Primary brain cancer or brain tumors originate in the brain and metastatic brain tumors originate elsewhere in the body. Common types of brain tumors include meningiomas, gliomas, pituitary adenomas, vestibular schwannomas, primary CNS lymphomas and medulloblastomas. There are many types of gliomas that behave slightly differently from one another. The tumors are related to the site of the tumor's origin.

Tumors are rated by grade. This is the aggressiveness of the tumor. Grade I tumors are benign tumors with slow cell growth. Grade II tumors are cancerous but grow slowly and have slightly abnormal cells. Grade III tumors are moderately rapidly growing and the cells are called anaplastic cells. Grade IV cells grow the fastest and have cells that look the most abnormal under the microscope.

Metastatic brain cancers behave like the primary tumor. The most common sites where cancers spread to the brain are lung, breast, malignant melanoma (skin) and the kidney. Metastatic tumors to brain are much more common than are primary brain cancers. They are named after the origin of the cancer, such as metastatic breast cancer to brain. About 85 percent settle in the cerebrum of the brain and the rest settle in the brainstem or cerebellum. Most metastatic brain cancers are multiple; single brain tumors from metastatic disease are less common. About 22,000 people develop brain tumors each year.

Risk factors for brain cancer include previous head radiation, heredity and having an HIV infection. Cigarette smoking is related to getting cancer of the brain. There is some though that environmental toxins cause brain cancer. These can include oil refinery chemicals, embalming fluids, and chemicals used in the rubber industry.

The symptoms of brain cancer depend on where the tumor is located and on its size. Some brain cancers have no symptoms at all, especially frontal lobe tumors and some tumors of the pituitary gland. Major symptoms include weakness of a body area, headache, poor balance and coordination, seizures and problems walking. There can be nausea, vomiting and an altered mental status, poor memory or vision difficulties. There can be speech problems and a gradual lessening of one's intellect. Stroke-like symptoms are not uncommon.

The tests for a brain cancer include a CT scan or MRI scan of the brain. If it is done with contrast media, it can show the cancer more readily. Doctors also do blood testing of those things related to coagulation, blood counts and electrolytes, which may be abnormal. In addition, a brain biopsy is performed that can tell the grade and type of cancer growing in the brain. This is done using brain surgery.

The treatment of brain cancer involves doing surgery if possible to remove the bulk or the entire tumor. This is usually followed by chemotherapy and radiation directed at killing the brain cancer cells. Many brain cancers respond well to radiotherapy and it can be curative in some cases.