Cerebral tumors are abnormal unregulated growths of cells in the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain. The cerebral hemispheres play a role in sensory perception, thought processes, language and voluntary body movement. Most of the brain's information processing takes place in the cerebral cortex. Growing cerebral tumors can exert pressure on and destroy surrounding brain tissue, which can interfere with normal brain functions. The American Cancer Society reports over 22,000 new diagnoses of brain or spinal cord cancers in 2010: nearly 12,000 in men and just over 10,000 in women. Because the different parts of the cerebrum carry out specialized functions, the symptoms of different types of cerebral tumors depend on their location.
Glioblastomas
A glioblastoma multiforme tumor grows from the star-shaped astrocyte cells in the brain. This type of tumor accounts for 20 percent of primary brain tumors, according to "A Primer of Brain Tumors." Glioblastoma multiforme tumors usually develop in the cerebral hemispheres, but they may grow in other parts of the brain. The symptoms of cerebral glioblastoma multiforme tumors can include sleepiness, nausea, vomiting and headache, which may result from the pressure exerted by the growing tumor on other brain tissues. Glioblastoma multiforme tumors growing in different parts of the cerebrum can cause symptoms that include visual disturbances, seizures, language difficulties and memory loss.
Astrocytomas
"A Primer of Brain Tumors" mentions astrocytomas as one of the most common types of brain tumor. Depending on the location of the tumor, symptoms of an astrocytoma may include generalized seizures with visual aura, partial seizures, reduced attention, apathy, gait disturbances and urinary urgency, according to the Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. If the astrocytoma or another type of tumor develops in the parietal lobe, a patient may find it difficult to orient himself in space, or he may have problems recognizing the parts of his body, notes the American Brain Tumor Association.
Meningiomas
Meningioma tumors develop from the meningeal tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Approximately 27 percent of primary brain tumors are meningiomas. One of the most common locations of meningiomas is over or between the cerebral hemispheres. Other common sites include the rear lower part of the brain known as the posterior fossa, and at the base of the skull. Symptoms of this type of tumor may include confusion, behavioral and personality changes, seizures, headache and weakness on one side of the body.
References
- American Cancer Society: Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors in Adults
- "A Primer of Brain Tumors"; Anthony Asher M.D., et al; 2004
- Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals: Common Localizing Manifestations of Brain Tumors
- American Brain Tumor Association: Symptoms
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Brain and Spinal Tumors Information Page
