Brain Tumor: Introduction

The possibility of being diagnosed with a brain tumour may be a shocking and life-changing event. If your doctor suspects a brain tumour , it's important to hunt out other doctors specialized in diagnosing and treating brain tumors. The brain may be a complex and vitals , and treatment often causes life-long changes. It is important to urge specialists' opinions and updated medical information about treatment options for the precise sort of brain tumour .

Brain Tumor: Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a brain tumour . Although risk factors often influence the event of a brain tumour , most don't directly cause a brain tumour . Some people with several risk factors never develop a brain tumour , while others with no known risk factors do. Knowing your risk factors and talking about them with your doctor may help you make more informed decisions. But, at this point , there are not any known ways to stop a brain tumour through lifestyle changes.

Most of the time, the cause of a brain tumor is unknown, but the following factors may raise a person’s risk of developing a brain tumor:

Age. Brain tumors are more common in children and older adults, although people of any age can develop a brain tumor.

Gender. In general, men are more likely than women to develop a brain tumor. However, some specific sorts of brain tumors, like meningioma, are more common in women.

Home and work exposures. Exposure to solvents, pesticides, oil products, rubber, or vinyl chloride may increase the danger of developing a brain tumour .

Family history. About 5% of brain tumors may be linked to hereditary genetic factors or conditions, including Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis, nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Turcot syndrome, and von Hippel-Lindau disease. Scientists have also found “clusters” of brain tumors within some families without a link to these known hereditary conditions. Studies are underway to try to find a cause for these clusters.

Exposure to infections, viruses, and allergens. Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) increases the risk of CNS lymphoma. EBV is more commonly known as the virus that causes mononucleosis or “mono.” In other research, high levels of a common virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV) have been found in brain tumor tissue. The meaning of this finding is being researched.

Several sorts of other viruses are shown to cause brain tumors in research on animals. More data are needed to find out if exposure to infections, other viruses, or allergens increase the risk of a brain tumor in people. Of note, studies have shown that patients with a history of allergies or skin conditions have a lower risk of glioma.

Electromagnetic fields. Most studies evaluating the role of electromagnetic fields, such as energy from power lines or from cell phone use, show no link to an increased risk of developing a brain tumor in adults. Because of conflicting information regarding risk in children, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting cell phone use and promotes the use of a hands-free headset for both adults and children.

Race and ethnicity. In the United States, white people are more likely to develop gliomas but less likely to develop meningioma than black people. Also, people from northern Europe are more than twice as likely to develop a brain tumor as people in Japan.

Ionizing radiation. Previous treatment to the brain or head with ionizing radiation, including x-rays, has been shown to be a risk factor for a brain tumor.

Head injury and seizures. Serious head trauma has long been studied for its relationship to brain tumors. Some studies have shown a link between head trauma and meningioma, but not between head trauma and glioma. A history of seizures has also been linked with brain tumors, but because a brain tumor can cause seizures, it is not known if seizures increase the risk of brain tumors, if seizures occur because of the tumor, or if anti-seizure medication increases the risk.

N-nitroso compounds. Some studies of diet and vitamin supplementation seem to point that dietary N-nitroso compounds may raise the danger of both childhood and adult brain tumors. Dietary N-nitroso compounds are formed within the body from nitrites or nitrates found in some cured meats, cigarette smoke, and cosmetics. However, additional research is important before a definitive link are often established.

Brain Tumor: Symptoms and Signs

Symptoms which will be specific to the situation of the tumor include:

Ø    Pressure or headache near the tumor

Ø    Loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills is linked with a tumor in the cerebellum.

Ø    Changes in judgment, including loss of initiative, sluggishness, and muscle weakness or paralysis is associated with a tumor in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum.

Ø     Partial or complete loss of vision is caused by a tumor in the occipital lobe or temporal lobe of the cerebrum.

Ø    Changes in speech, hearing, memory, or emotional state, such as aggressiveness and problems understanding or retrieving words can develop from a tumor in the frontal and temporal lobe of the cerebrum.

Ø    Altered perception of touch or pressure, arm or leg weakness on 1 side of the body, or confusion with left and right sides of the body are linked to a tumor in the frontal or parietal lobe of the cerebrum.

Ø    Inability to look upward can be caused by a pineal gland tumor.

Ø    Lactation, which is the secretion of breast milk, and altered menstrual periods in women, and growth in hands and feet in adults are linked with a pituitary tumor.

Ø    Difficulty swallowing, facial weakness or numbness, or double vision is a symptom of a tumor in the brain stem.

Ø    Vision changes, including loss of part of the vision or double vision can be from a tumor in the temporal lobe, occipital lobe, or brain stem.

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