Brain Cancer

3 de junio de 2020

4 min de lectura

One out of every 100 cancers diagnosed involves the brain. It is not known what causes most types of brain cancer, or related spinal cord tumors.

Some cancers originate in other organs and metastasize, or spread, to the brain. For example, breast, colon, and lung cancer cells often travel to the brain, as do malignant cells from melanomas.

Keep in mind that not every brain tumor is equivalent to brain cancer. Some brain tumors are benign and do not spread into nearby tissue.

The prognosis for a brain tumor depends on many factors. Surgery may prove curative for a low-grade tumor.

Types of Brain Cancers

There are more than 120 types of brain cancers, but most of them are relatively rare. The most frequently diagnosed types of brain cancers are:

Astrocytoma –The most common brain tumor of the central nervous system (CNS), these are usually found in the cerebrum in adult patients. The cerebrum governs speech, thinking, and learning.
Glioblastoma –This aggressive tumor develops on the brain’s supportive tissue. It is most often found in the temporal and frontal lobes.
Meningioma – The good news is that many of these tumors are not cancerous. Developing in the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, these meningiomas may grow very slowly.
Primary CNS lymphomas –Lymphomas appear in the brain’s lymph tissue. Those with compromised immune systems are most vulnerable to this form of brain cancer.

Brain Tumor Symptoms

Brain tumor symptoms may vary based on the location of the growth and its size. Such symptoms may include:

Headaches
Vision changes
Loss of coordination
Seizures
Memory issues
Personality changes
Trouble speaking or thinking
Muscle weakness
Fatigue

Risk Factors

Anyone who has undergone radiation treatment to the head for a prior condition is at increased risk of developing brain cancer. Many children diagnosed with leukemia are treated with radiation to the head. While this increases their chances of survival for this disease, brain tumors may appear many years later. In most cases, the odds of developing a brain tumor are far outweighed by the radiation needed to kill the leukemia cancer cells.

Brain tumors may also run in families. Usually, genetically-related tumors appear when an individual is relatively young.

People with a weak immune system are at greater risk of developing lymphoma of the brain. Lymphoma of the brain has also been linked to the HIV or Epstein-Barr virus, as well as those who have undergone organ transplantation.

Environmental factors may play a role in brain tumor development. Heavy cell phone use has been suggested as a possible brain tumor risk factor, but studies have not proved a connection. However, since cell phones are a relatively new technology, long-term effects are unclear.

Brain Cancer Diagnosis

A patient with potential brain cancer symptoms will undergo a neurological examination by the doctor. The exam concentrates on functions such as balance, vision, hearing, and reflexes. An issue in a particular area may reflect the part of the brain affected.

Doctors will order an MRI to diagnose the tumor and develop a treatment plan. Molecular diagnostics focusing on the tumor’s DNA can help physicians make a decision on the best course of treatment for an individual patient.

A tumor marker test, taken with a blood, saliva, or urine sample, denotes whether certain substances associated with cancer are at increased levels.

A neurosurgeon may conduct a biopsy of the brain tumor by using a needle. Guided by MRI or CT scanning, a small hole is drilled into the head and a thin needle is inserted to obtain a tissue sample. Testing shows whether the sample is benign or cancerous.

The patient may undergo additional tests, such as CT or PET scans, to determine whether the cancer originated in another part of the body and spread to the brain.

Brain Tumor Treatment

Not every tumor is located in an area where surgical removal is possible. With those that are, surgeons will attempt to remove as much of the tumor as they can safely. Often, an entire small tumor is removable. Brain surgery carries significant risks, and much depends on the location of the tumor.

If an imaging test shows that a tumor is present, the neurosurgeon may perform a craniotomy, opening part of the skull. A biopsy sample is taken, and if cancer cells are detected, the surgeon may proceed with tumor removal during this surgery.

Radiation to the head is used to kill tumor cells. Those whose tumors are confined to a particular area may receive external beam radiation. Whole-brain radiation is used for people whose cancer spread to the brain from another organ.

Chemotherapy drugs, such as temozolomide, marketed under the brand name Temodar, are common therapies in the brain cancer battle. This medication is taken in pill form.

Some patients may benefit from targeted drug therapy. These drugs concentrate on cancer cell abnormalities, which they can block. These cells then die.

Sources

Información general, no consejo médico

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En esta página

Types of Brain Cancers

Brain Tumor Symptoms

Risk Factors

Brain Cancer Diagnosis

Brain Tumor Treatment

Sources

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