Share
Abnormal growth of a normal cell in any part of the body causes cancer or tumor. It can occur in any organ or part of the body. The tumor that occurs in the brain is called as brain cancer or brain tumor. The most vital functions of the human body are coordinated by the brain and this organ’s functional ability can be severely limited by tumor growth. Not all the tumors in the brain are cancerous; this is the most important fact of any cancer. Tumors may be benign or malignant. Only the malignant tumors are termed as cancerous. The symptoms of brain cancer noticed are often that which manifest due to the encroachment of the tumor on different parts of the brain and preventing those parts from performing their assigned activities.
Though the causes of brain cancer are not well established, its types are classified as primary and metastatic brain cancer. Primary brain tumors generally originate in the brain. The brain cells transforms from its normal characteristics and grows abnormally consuming nutrition and blood. These abnormally grown brain cells form a mass called a tumor. Some of the common primary brain tumors are medulloblastomas, adenomas, gliomas, primary CNS lymphomas etc. These tumors are named after the part of the brain where the tumor occurs.
Metastatic brain tumor which is the second type of brain cancer does not originate in the brain. The malignant tumor which develops in other organs or body parts acquires the ability to spread to any organ through the blood stream. When the tumor spreads to the brain, it gets confined in the closed skull growing abnormally and thereby causing a malfunction of the brain.
There is a general misconception that aspartame; an artificial sweetener is one of the causes of brain cancer. A report published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that there is no clinical evidence that aspartame brain cancer causes and hence it is safe. Hereditary is not a known or a proven cause of brain cancer.
Though there are no specific causes of brain cancer, some of the risk factors that lead to brain cancer include old age, radiation and chemical exposure, family history, race etcetera. Brain cancer is prevalent in whites than in other races and most of the sufferers are above the age of 45. There are no proven results that the use of cell phones brain cancer causes and this is still under investigation.
The best treatment for brain cancer is radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is of two type’s namely external and internal therapy. Though chemotherapy drugs have proven the eradication of tumor, devastating side effects have also been reported. Hair loss and suppressed immune system are the main side effects of the drugs.
