Brain cancer means the proliferation of abnormal cells in brain tissue.
Although such tumors are generally called brain tumors, not all tumors that arise in the brain are necessarily cancerous.
That is why the term brain cancer is used to describe malignant tumors only.
Tumor classification
Benign or malignant brain tumors may appear:
Malignant tumors
They grow and spread violently while controlling healthy cell tissues and occupying specific areas, as well as using the blood supply and nutrients intended for healthy and normal tissues.
Benign tumors
Tumors that do not spread violently are called benign tumors.
A benign tumor is generally less dangerous than a malignant tumor, but a benign tumor can lead to problems in the brain.
types of tumors
There are two main types of brain tumors depending on the source, and they are as follows:
1. Primary brain tumors
Some cancerous tumors arise in the brain when a certain type of cell deviates from its usual characteristics, in such a case and when such a deviation occurs, the cell grows, in its new shape, and multiplies abnormally.
When these abnormal cells grow, they turn into a mass or tumor.
Brain tumors that arise as a result of a change in shape and irregularity in growth are called primary brain tumors because of the source of their formation in brain tissue.
The most common primary brain tumors are:
Glioma and there are many tumors that belong to this type, including:
Astrocytoma.
Oligodendroglioma.
Ependymoma.
Papilloma of the choroid plexus.
Meningioma.
Pituitary adenoma.
Neuroblastoma (Vestibular schwannoma).
Medulloblastomas.
2. Metastases in the brain
Brain metastases are made up of cancer cells originating in another part of the body, as these cancer cells arrived in the brain from another tumor.
About 25% of all tumors that arise elsewhere in the body metastasize to the brain.
brain cancer symptoms
Not all brain tumors cause symptoms, and some are discovered only at autopsy.
Symptoms of brain cancer that may indicate a brain tumor are many and varied, but they are not unique to brain tumors.
This means that the same symptoms may appear as a result of other diseases, and the only way to verify with certainty is to undergo a series of diagnostic procedures and a number of tests.
1. The most common symptoms of brain cancer
The symptoms listed below are the most common symptoms of brain cancer:
headache;
Weakness and wasting.
Movement blur.
difficulty walking
bouts of convulsions;
2. Less common brain cancer symptoms
Less common brain cancer symptoms include:
A change in the cognitive state.
feeling sick and vomiting;
Vision changes.
Speech difficulties.
Gradual changes in mental ability or emotional perception.
In most people who develop brain cancer, the symptoms of brain cancer mentioned above appear so gradually that the patient himself, or those around him, may notice them at first. However, brain cancer symptoms may appear quickly.
In some cases, a person with brain cancer may act as if he or she has had a stroke.
Brain cancer causes and risk factors
As with some cancers that arise elsewhere in the body, the exact causes of brain cancers to develop in the brain are still unknown.
Possible causes of brain cancer
It has been found that there are many causes related to the emergence of brain cancer, including:
Certain genetic factors.
Environmental pollution.
radiations.
Cigarette smoking.
Factors that increase the risk of brain cancer
The following factors have been shown to be associated with the development of brain cancer and have been identified as potential risk factors for developing brain cancer. However, it is not yet known if these factors actually increase the risk of developing brain cancer:
Exposure to radiation in the head area.
Certain genetic factors.
Carrying the AIDS virus.
brain cancer complications
Complications of brain cancer include:
Depression.
mental problems;
epilepsy;
Tired.
headache;
hearing loss.
paralysis;
stammer
Brain Cancer Diagnosis
The results obtained after studying the patient's health condition allow the treating physician, whether the family doctor or the emergency room doctor, to diagnose if the patient has a problem in the brain (brain), or in the brain stem (Truncus encephalitis).
Among the most important examinations carried out are the following:
1. Computed Tomography - CT
In most cases, a CT scan of the brain is done. This scan is similar to an X-ray but provides very detailed information using 3D imaging.
In most cases, a contrast material is injected into the bloodstream, a minimally invasive procedure to highlight abnormal areas during the scanning procedure.