Brain cancer can originate in the brain or move into the brain from another part of the body. Cells that begin in the brain are called primary brain tumors. Secondary brain tumors are called metastatic, or spreading, tumors that form somewhere else in the body but travel to the brain. Some brain tumors are benign with no signs of cancer. Malignant cancer cells grow quickly.
Cause
The exact cause of brain tumors is not known, according to the National Institutes of Health MedlinePlus website. Doctors are often unable to explain why one person gets a brain tumor and others do not.
Symptoms
Signs of a brain tumor may vary widely and usually involve the central nervous system. A person needs to act quickly when noticing possible symptoms because the tumors can be fatal. Signs include headaches that may be worse in the morning, difficulty thinking or remembering things, and problems with the ability to talk, see or hear. There may be problems with balance or walking, jerking or twitching muscle movements, and tingling or numbness in the arms or legs. Nausea and vomiting may occur. Other symptoms may include behavioral changes such as irritability, drooping eyelid or crossed eyes, and muscle weakness on one side of the face or body.
Prognosis
Cancerous brain tumors are very aggressive and often fatal. Even though primary brain tumors are limited to the brain area, they can quickly cause death. The majority of people diagnosed with primary brain cancer die, according to oncologychannel, a medical information website. People with metastatic brain tumors often have a poor prognosis because it indicates the disease has advanced throughout the body.
Complications
Both types of brain cancers can cause complications such as stroke, unconsciousness and paralysis. Benign brain tumors may also be life threatening if they interfere with vital parts of the body, such as an artery, to obstruct blood flow to the brain or heart.
Spinal Cord
Spinal cord tumors may be involved with brain tumors when abnormal growths develop in the bony spinal column that extends from the skull to the spinal cord. The brain and spinal column are part of the central nervous system. Symptoms involving spinal cord tumors include pain, sensory changes and problems with muscle movement.
Treatment
Doctors test for suspected cases of brain and spinal tumors by using imaging techniques and laboratory procedures with sample tissues. Surgery, radiation or chemotherapy may be used for treatment. Gene therapy for brain and spinal cord tumors involves inserting a gene that may make the cancer cells susceptible to certain drugs, which may destroy or slow the growth of the cancer cells.
