Brain tumor. Causes, symptoms, tests – all you need to know

What is a brain tumor? Brain tumors, or tumors of the central nervous system, are abnormal changes that occur in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord. Their nature is diverse – they can be primary or secondary, benign or malignant. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, brain tumors account for 1.7% of the total number of cancer cases in the world population. What are the reasons for their formation? What symptoms should we be alerted to? Finally, what tests should be done when we notice symptoms? This article answers all of these questions.

You can find an example visualization of a tumor in the article: Brain tumor: What does it looks like?

What causes a brain tumor?

Despite extensive research, specialists have yet to identify the common cause that is responsible for the formation of brain tumors. However, there are factors that increase the risk of developing this disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, they include:

• Family history – the heredity of brain tumors is not common, but if there are several cases in the family, it is worth consulting a doctor.

• Radiation – exposure to ionizing radiation (e.g. after an explosion of an atomic bomb, due to a nuclear power plant failure) significantly increases the risk of developing a brain tumor.

Types of brain tumor

Primary tumor

This is a type of tumor that begins in the brain – in nerve cells, brain cells, and the tissues that surround the brain. They can be both benign and cancerous. The most common types of primary tumors are gliomas and meningiomas.

Gliomas

Gliomas develop from glial cells, which are responsible for supporting the structure of the central nervous system and its nutrition. Neoplastic changes can develop from different types of glial cells, they are:

• Astrocyte tumors (astrocytomas) – develop in the forebrain; depending on the type, they can develop around the optic nerves (spongyoma), the brain stem, the spinal cord (filamentous) and the hemispheres of the brain (filamentous, mast cell);

• Oligodendroglial tumors (oligodendroglioma) – most often located in the frontal lobes, and in the later stages of development, they may invade the cerebral cortex and the spider mite

• Glioblastoma multiforme – develops in the cerebral hemispheres (frontal and temporal lobes) and can metastasize through the cerebrospinal fluid.

In terms of histopathology, the spongyoma is the mildest, and the most malignant one is glioblastoma.

Metastatic tumor

They are tumors that arise from cancer cells that originally developed elsewhere in the body and then spread to other organs. The most common brain metastases are lung, breast, kidney and skin cancer. Secondary brain tumors are malignant – benign tumors do not spread to other organs.

Symptoms - what to look for?

The list of symptoms to watch out for is extensive, but you shouldn't underestimate the occurrence of them. The symptoms that appear can vary as their nature depends on the location, size and type of cancer you develop.

Headache

It is one of the most common symptoms of a brain tumor - headaches are reported by about half of patients, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. There are many types of headaches, depending on the characteristics of the tumor. It is usually persistent, may be throbbing, and usually does not go away with common pain medications. It can also be accompanied by vomiting and other neurological problems.

Seizure

It usually manifests itself in unconsciousness, body tension and tremors. In many cases it is a loss of body control or a short-term loss of breath. The person who experiences the seizure may feel drowsy and confused as a result of the seizure. Seizures are caused by an abnormality in the brain's electrical activity, and depending on what part of the brain is in it, a seizure can manifest itself in different ways.

Memory loss

A brain tumor may be located in the area of memory. If it becomes constricted, it may affect memory. Changes in short-term memory, which consists in remembering information that we need for a few seconds or minutes, are more noticeable than changes in long-term memory.

Mood swings

Mood swings in people with developing brain cancer are sudden and unjustified.

Personality change

The location and size of a tumor has a significant impact on the area where it is located. This may affect its functioning, which also affects the behavior of a given person. Personality changes may be slight, but they can also be quite a challenge for loved ones.

Fatigue

Fatigue is a very common symptom of brain tumor development. A sick person may experience a complete lack of energy or its sudden drop in energy, as well as weakness and difficulty concentrating.

Other symptoms

In addition to the above-mentioned symptoms, attention should be paid to such changes as: nausea, visual disturbances, loss of limb sensation, imbalance, a feeling of embarrassment in everyday duties, hearing impairment, speech problems.

What tests should be done?

First, physical examinations and a medical interview with the patient are performed. They also include a number of tests to check the condition of the nervous system. One of them is an examination with an ophthalmoscope, that is emitting a strong beam of light, which is directed to the eye, through the pupils, up to the retina. It allows the doctor to determine the efficiency of the pupils and check whether there is any swelling within the optic nerve. If a brain tumor is suspected, the doctor will order tests that will confirm or rule out the disease. These include: computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), biopsy.