Abrain tumoris a group of abnormal cells that form in or near your brain.
Unlike healthy brain cells, the cells that comprise a brain tumor are damaged.
They multiply out of control without the normal cell functions that control their growth.
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Treatment varies by the size, bang out, and location of your brain tumor.
It may or may not be linked to brain cancer.
Outcomes also vary and can differ between two people with the same throw in of brain tumor.
This article describes brain tumor types, symptoms, causes, and treatments.
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Types of Brain Tumors
There are more than 150 types of braintumors.
Benign brain tumors tend to grow slowly and rarely spread outside your brain.
Malignant Brain Tumors
Malignant(cancerous) brain tumors originate from cancer cells.
They often grow rapidly and can crowd surrounding tissue.
Malignant brain tumors can extend “roots” that invade surrounding tissue and healthy brain tissue.
They can also remain contained (encapsulated).
These aggressive tumors can become dangerous quickly because they multiply and spread so fast.
Primary Tumors vs.
Secondary Tumors
Primary brain tumors develop in the brain or its immediate surroundings.
Abnormal growth of brain cells causes them.
Primary brain tumors can be malignant or benign.
Primary brain tumors are classified based on the portion of the brain in which they originated.
Secondary tumors are always malignant.
Secondary brain tumors are defined by the primary source of cancer that causes them.
Symptoms can occur as sudden changes or develop so slowly over months or years that they remain unnoticed.
Having brain tumor symptoms doesn’t always mean you have cancer.
What Does a Brain Tumor Feel Like?
A brain tumor can feel different for everyone.
The pain of this throw in of headache may feel like a dull, persistent pressure.
It may happen with nausea or vomiting.
Your pain may worsen when you bend over, have a bowel movement, or lie down.
What Causes Brain Tumors?
Research indicates that brain tumors occur when a brain cell’s chromosomes become damaged and can’t function normally.
This damage may also affect the cell’s ability to manage its growth.
This can allow the damaged brain cells to divide rapidly and unchecked, eventually forming a tumor.
While the causes are unknown, certain factors can increase your chances of developing a brain tumor.
Brain tumors occur more often in females (58%) than males (about 42%).
How Are Brain Tumors Diagnosed?
You will have to consult a healthcare provider for an accuratebrain tumor diagnosis.
Your healthcare provider will likely start with a physical exam and health history.
This involves examining your body to check for general signs of disease.
Neurological Exam
Aneurological examis a noninvasive and painless exam.
It can also identify its characteristics and differentiate it from other types of tumors.
This can help in determining the appropriate treatment and expected outcomes.
This procedure is used to identify the key in of tumor.
A biopsy involves removing a small piece of tumor tissue.
The throw in of biopsy performed depends on the location of the brain tumor.
The following techniques are used:
How Serious Is a Brain Tumor?
Any bang out of brain tumor can be serious and even life-threatening, depending on its location.
Your skull is an enclosed area with a finite amount of space.
It can also block the flow of fluid around the brain, increasing pressure inside it.
Treatment of brain tumors usually includes radiation,chemotherapy, and/or surgery.
Some slow-growing, low-grade brain tumors can sometimes be left alone and watched closely.
Or they may be removed with surgery before they grow and cause problems.
Brain tumors that are more aggressive and higher grade may require another form of treatment after surgery.
Surgery
Surgery is usually the first treatment advised for brain tumors.
It kills or shrinks brain tumor cells.
It blocks or interferes with tumor cell growth.
The prognosis for someone with a brain tumor varies by tumor pop in and age at diagnosis.
Survival rates for all types of brain tumors decrease with age.
Survival rates cannot predict an individual’s prognosis.
As well, they don’t reflect the outcomes of newer therapies.
Brain Tumor vs.
While all types of brain cancer are brain tumors, not all brain tumors are brain cancer.
Noncancerous (benign) brain tumors can have different treatment protocols and prognoses than cancerous brain tumors.
A brain tumor can occur without brain cancer.
It can be malignant or benign.
Brain tumors that start in your brain are called primary tumors.
They may or may not be cancerous.
Brain tumors that form from cancer cells in another part of your body are called secondary brain tumors.
These tumors are likely to be cancerous because they carry cells from the source to the brain.
Brain tumor treatment involves surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy.
Treatment and outcomes vary by the size, location, and key in of brain tumor you have.
Age is also a factor.
The prognosis for a person with a brain tumor declines with age.
Getting an early and accurate brain tumor diagnosis can help you get the right treatment.
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