Brain Cancer

Brain tumors can be benign, with no cancer cells, or malignant, with cancer cells that grow quickly. Some are primary brain tumors, which start in the brain. Others are secondary or metastatic, and they start somewhere else in the body and move to the brain; these tumors are named after the part of the body in which they started. Brain cancer includes malignant tumors that start in the brain, near the brain, or in the spinal cord. Secondary brain tumors are more common than primary brain tumors.

There are several types of brain tumors and they can occur in children and adults. The chance of recovery and treatment options vary depending on the location of the tumor, its size, how fast it is growing, and the patient’s age.

The most common symptoms of brain tumors include:

• Headaches, often in the morning
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in vision, speech, or hearing
• Problems with balance or walking
• Problems with thinking or memory
• Feeling weak or sleepy
• Changes in personality, mood, or behavior
• Seizures

Surgery common in the treatment of brain cancer. Other treatments may include chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Primary brain tumors originate in the brain itself or in tissues close to it, such as membranes that cover the brain (meninges), nerves in the brain and face, the pituitary gland, or the pineal gland.

Many different types of primary brain tumors exist. Each gets its name from the type of cells involved. Examples include:

• Gliomas. These tumors begin in the brain or spinal cord and include astrocytomas, ependymoma, glioblastomas, oligoastrocytomas, and oligodendrogliomas.
• Meningiomas. A meningioma is a tumor that arises from the membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord (meninges). Most meningiomas are benign.
• Acoustic neuromas (schwannomas). These are benign tumors that develop on the nerves that control balance and hearing leading from your inner ear to your brain.
• Pituitary adenomas. These are mostly benign tumors that develop in the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. These tumors can affect the pituitary hormones with effects throughout the body.
• Medulloblastomas. These are the most common cancerous brain tumors in children. A medulloblastoma starts in the lower back part of the brain and tends to spread through the spinal fluid. These tumors are less common in adults, but they do occur.
• PNETs. Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) are rare, cancerous tumors that start in embryonic (fetal) cells in the brain. They can occur anywhere in the brain.
• Germ cell tumors. Germ cell tumors may develop during childhood where the testicles or ovaries will form. But sometimes germ cell tumors move to other parts of the body, such as the brain.
• Craniopharyngiomas. These rare, noncancerous tumors start near the brain's pituitary gland, which secretes hormones that control many body functions. As the craniopharyngioma slowly grows, it can affect the pituitary gland and other structures near the brain.

In most people with primary brain tumors, the cause of the tumor is not clear. But some factors that may increase your risk of a brain tumor. Different types of tumors have different risk factors, but some general risk factors include:

• Age. Your risk of a brain tumor increases as you age. Brain tumors are most common in older adults. However, a brain tumor can occur at any age, and certain types of brain tumors occur almost exclusively in children.
• Exposure to radiation. People who have been exposed to a type of radiation called ionizing radiation have an increased risk of brain tumor. Examples of ionizing radiation include radiation therapy used to treat cancer and radiation exposure caused by atomic bombs. More common forms of radiation, such as electromagnetic fields from power lines and radiofrequency radiation from cellphones and microwave ovens, have not been proved to be linked to brain tumors.
• Family history of brain tumors. A small portion of brain tumors occur in people with a family history of brain tumors or a family history of genetic syndromes that increase the risk of brain tumors.

See your doctor for new or worsening headaches, unexplained nausea or vomiting, vision changes, weakness, or trouble with balance or speech. Seek emergency care for a seizure, sudden severe headache, or sudden confusion.