Overview of Brain Tumors
A brain tumor is a group of abnormal cells growing in the brain or around it. Tumors can directly destroy healthy brain cells. They can also indirectly damage them by invading other parts of the brain and cause inflammation, brain swelling and pressure inside the skull.
Brain tumors can be malignant or benign. A malignant tumor, also called brain cancer often grows quickly invade healthy brain areas. Benign tumors do not contain cancer cells. Viewed under a microscope to look normal, and usually grow slowly.
Brain tumors can be of two types: primary or metastatic. Primary brain tumors originate in the brain, and metastatic cancer cells appear when another part of the body spread to the brain. Therefore, metastatic brain tumors are almost always malignant, while primary tumors may be benign or malignant.
Brain tumors are classified according to tumor location, type of tissue involved, if the tumor is benign or malignant, and other factors. If it is determined that a tumor is malignant, cells were examined under a microscope to determine the degree of malignancy. According to this analysis, tumors classified by their degree of malignancy, from less malignant to more malignant. Some factors that determine the extent of the tumor are the speed of cell growth, the amount of blood supplied to the cells, the presence of dead cells in the center of the tumor (necrosis), if cells are confined to a specific area, and the degree of similarity between cancer cells and normal.
The cause of primary brain tumors, genetic and environmental factors could be the cause of some. Previous exposure to therapeutic radiation during childhood appears to be a causative agent in a few patients. The symptoms of a brain tumor include headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, behavioral changes, memory loss and problems with vision or hearing.