Abnormal cell formation within the brain often results in a brain tumor. Brain tumors are of two types: benign tumors and malignant/cancerous tumors. This means that all brain tumors are not cancerous but only the malignant type.

Malignant tumors are further divided into primary tumors that form within the brain and secondary tumors that originate in other parts of the body. The latter type is also termed as brain metastasis tumors.

Risk factor’s

A risk factor is anything that may increase the chance of developing a brain tumor. While risk factors have a role to play in its development, most of them don’t actually cause it. People with several risk factors may never develop a brain tumor, while those with none do.

Some of the common risk factors are:

• Age: Although brain tumors are common in older adults and children, anyone can develop them at any age.
• Gender: Men are more likely to develop brain cancer than women; although certain types, for example, meningioma, are common only in women.
• Exhibitions: The risk of developing brain tumors increases when exposed to pesticides, solvents, rubber, vinyl chloride, and petroleum products.
• Family history: About 5% of brain tumors can occur due to hereditary factors, such as neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, and Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
• Seizures and head injuries: Severe head injuries often result in the development of brain tumors.

Symptoms

The symptoms of brain tumors vary depending on the type of tumor and its size, location, and rate of growth. The usual symptoms include:

• severe headaches

• seizures

• vomiting

• Weakness

• Nausea

• sensory changes

• memory changes

• vision changes

• Difficulty to sleep

Diagnosis

Doctors follow many testing procedures to diagnose a brain tumor and its type. They also do tests to identify whether or not the tumor has spread to another part of the body, known as metastasis.

Doctors consider the following when deciding on the type of diagnostic test:

• The signs and symptoms of the patient.

• The age and health status of the patient.

• The type of suspected tumor.

Doctors perform different types of tests depending on the factors mentioned above. Some of these include:

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): It is used to get a detailed picture of the body and measure the size of the tumor. If a tumor is detected, tumor tissue is collected by surgery or biopsy to identify its type.
• computed tomography: Unlike an MRI that uses a magnetic field, a CT scan provides a 3D image of the body through X-rays. It helps identify bleeding within the brain and bone changes within the skull.
• Lumbar puncture: In this procedure, doctors take a sample of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) through a needle to identify tumor cells or biomarkers. Biomarkers are substances found in the urine, spinal fluid, or other fluids of people with a certain type of cancer.
• Vision, neurological and hearing tests: These tests are done to determine whether or not the tumor is affecting how the brain works.

Treatment

When a brain tumor is diagnosed, a medical team is formed to determine possible treatment options. There are a few treatment options available to get rid of it, including:

• Surgery: It consists of removing the tumor partially or totally.
• Chemotherapy: Drugs are given here to kill tumor cells, although they can have side effects.
• Radiotherapy: This is the most common treatment option where the tumor is destroyed with gamma rays or x-rays.

Finally, brain cancer must be treated immediately after diagnosis to prevent long-term physical disabilities and even death.