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What is a brain tumor?

A brain tumor develops when brain cells grow and divide uncontrollably. Abnormal growth of cells develops masses, or lumps, within the brain. These are known as tumors. Different types of tumors exist. Some of them are non-cancerous, also known as benign tumor and some tumors are cancerous and also known as malignant. 

These tumors when grow, increases the pressure in the brain and restricting blood flow. This can cause brain damage and it can be sometimes life threatening. Brain tumors are either primary or secondary.

• Primary brain tumors originate in the brain and are rare accounting for only about 1.4% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.
•  Secondary brain tumors are common and spread to the brain from another part of the body like lungs, colon etc. 

Types of Brain Cancer in Adults and its symptoms

Multiple types of cancerous brain tumors exists. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, gliomas are the most common type of brain cancer in adults. They make up 78% of cancerous tumors.

Gliomas is a type of tumour that occurs in the brain and spinal cord. It begins from glial cells that support neurons. There are three types of glial cells that can produce tumors: Astrocytes, Ependymal cells, and Oligodendrocytes.

Astrocytomas

These brain tumors originate from astrocytes cells. They usually occur in the cerebrum, which is the large, upper part of the brain. This is the most common in adults. 

Astrocytomas are classified as grade from 1 to 4, showing the different levels of severity. Grades 1 and 2 are relatively slow-growing. Grade 3 grows faster and is common in middle-aged people. When an astrocytoma progresses to grade 4, it is referred to as a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common form of malignant brain tumor, which are aggressive and fast growing tumor.

Symptoms of Astrocytoma

• Headaches
• Limb weakness
• Problems with speech
• Seizures
• Vision problems (double or blurred)

symptoms of Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)

• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite
• Personality changes
• Seizures

Ependymomas

These tumors begins in the ependymal cells in the brain and spinal cord, a tissue of central nervous system. These tumor can occur in any age but commonly occurs in young people. They occur more often in men than women.

Symptoms may include:

• Back pain
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Weakness in the arms and legs.

Oligodendrogliomas

Oligodendrogliomas develop in the brain’s white matter, which plays an important role in the communication between the brain and spinal cord, and within the brain itself. 

These tumors forms from oligodendrocytes cell in the brain, that produce a substance that protects nerve cells. It can occur in any age but most common in middle-aged men, and rarely in children.

Symptoms include:

• Difficulties with thinking
• Feeling numb
• Headaches
• Problems with movement and balance
• Trouble remembering things
• Seizures

Types of brain cancer in children

Some types of brain cancer are more common in children than adults. Some examples include:

Medulloblastomas

Medulloblastomas is the most common malignant brain tumour of childhood and accounted for 20 percent of all childhood brain tumour. It usually forms in the cerebellum, which is the bottom part of the brain located at the back of the skull. 

They are the fast-growing tumor and spread through the cerebrospinal fluid, a clear liquid in the brain and spinal cord.

Symptoms includes

• Headaches
• Morning nausea or vomiting that gradually gets worse
• Clumsiness
• Problems with handwriting or holding a pen
• Visual problems (rare) at the time of diagnosis

Brainstem gliomas

These tumor start in the brain or spinal cord and spread throughout the nervous system. According to the study, around 75% are diagnosed in children and young adults below twenty years of age, but have been known to affect older adults as well. Two types of brainstem gliomas occurs in children.

• Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) are a fast-growing and easily spread to nearby cells, that are difficult to treat.
• Focal gliomas are slow-growing and are mostly benign, or non-cancerous and can be easily treated. 

Symptoms include

• Facial weakness
• Difficulty chewing and swallowing food.
• Weakness in the arms and legs, clumsiness or wobbliness, and difficulty walking.
• Difficulty talking.
• Headache.
• Vomiting

Treatment

Cancerous brain tumors usually require more treatment than non-cancerous tumors. Depending upon the severity of the tumors, doctors use several methods for treating brain cancer. These include:

• Surgery: If a tumor is easily accessible, this is the first approach a doctor would suggest.
• Chemotherapy: This type of therapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells.
• Radiation therapy: This includes x-rays and proton therapy. High-energy beams destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors.
• Radiosurgery: This therapy use high-energy radar beams to prevent the tumor from growing and dividing.
• Targeted therapy: This type of treatment uses drugs that target specific genes related to tumor growth.

Are all brain tumors cancerous?

As already discussed above, two types of tumors occurs i.e. benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous). So, it is not always that all brain tumors are cancerous or malignant. Some are benign and cannot spread to the other parts of the body. 

If a person is diagnosed with brain tumor, doctor will find it with imaging scan like MRI to confirm the type of tumor. If diagnosed with benign tumor, it is advisable to visit doctor for regular check-up and treatment required based on the tumor diagnosed. Mostly these tumors can be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. 

If a person diagnosed with Malignant cancer, they should contact a doctor as early detection improves the prognosis for all cancers. 

Summary

Many types of brain cancer exists. The most common types are glioma in adults and some types of brain cancer, such as medulloblastomas, are more common in children. 

Several different treatments are available for brain cancer. A doctor will help to determine the appropriate course of treatment, which would be helpful in relieving symptoms, which remains as an important part of care and treatment among the patients.