Brain Tumor: Types, Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
A brain tumor is a very serious disease. Both its treatment and early detection are complicated. There are many varieties, ranging from benign to malignant.
A brain tumor , like all tumors, is a mass of cells that grow out of control. They can be malignant or benign, and there are many different types. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about them.
What is a brain tumor?
A brain tumor is a mass of cells that have lost control of their reproduction and growth. In other words, they grow and multiply uncontrollably differently than the rest of the body’s normal cells.
This is because the cell undergoes mutations that cause it to reproduce much more than normal and not die when it should. It accumulates even more mutations that make it become a malignant cell. Thus, masses of mutant cells are formed.
We can distinguish between two types of tumors. There are benign tumors and malignant tumors. The difference between them is their ability to metastasize, that is, the ability to spread throughout the body. In benign tumors, growth will be local, while malignant tumors metastasize elsewhere in the body.
In addition, we also distinguish primary tumors that come directly from the tissue in question. In this case, it will be brain tissue. And secondary tumors that originated elsewhere in the body and metastasized to the brain.
Types of brain tumors
Within the classification between malignant and benign, and primary and secondary, there are many different types of tumors that can be found in the brain. Different types can dominate a person depending on age or gender. So there are tumors that appear in children, while others we only see in adults or the elderly.
Of all types of brain tumors, the secondary ones are the most common. Among them, there are metastases to the lungs, breasts and skin.
There are different types of primitives, depending on the cell they come from. The most common in adults is meningioma, followed by glioma. Other types of primary brain tumor include, for example, acoustic neuroma, pituitary adenoma, medulloblastoma, and craniopharyngioma.
Symptoms of a brain tumor
The symptoms a brain tumor causes will depend on its size, location, and rate of growth, among other things. Because the brain is such a key area for controlling many functions, symptoms can vary greatly. Some of them are:
- Frequent headaches.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Loss of feeling or movement in any part of the body.
- Problems with walking or balance.
- Partial or complete loss of sight in one or both eyes.
- Difficulty speaking or understanding others.
- Seizures of epilepsy.
- Changes in personality or behavior.
Usually, these symptoms appear gradually over weeks or months as they will depend on the tumor occupying a specific area of the brain.
Brain tumor – causes and diagnosis
The exact causes of cancer are currently unknown, although we can link them to some risk factors. We know some types of cancer that can be inherited, that is, they’re encoded in genes.
However, others occur spontaneously. Some of the factors that may help cancer develop include exposure to radiation or tobacco.
Clinical judgment by an expert will be required for its diagnosis . You will also need a variety of tests, both imaging – such as a CT scan – and blood tests or biopsies. In this way, it will be determined what type of tumor is present before treatment begins.
Treatment of brain tumors
It will be up to the specialist to decide which treatment is most appropriate for each patient. This may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery to remove the tumor. Treatment will depend on the type of tumor, its location, patient characteristics, and many other factors that will need to be considered.
Like all cancers, it is a topic that science is currently working hard on to improve treatment options and the survival of those who suffer from the disease. However, the sooner a tumor is found and treatment is started, the better the patient’s expectations will be.
