Scribd
Upload
17 views4 pages

Documento sin título

Brain tumors are abnormal growths in or around the brain that can be malignant or benign, affecting both children and adults. They can cause serious health issues by pressing on surrounding tissues and may present symptoms such as headaches, seizures, and balance problems. Treatment options exist, and while primary brain tumors are uncommon, they can significantly impact brain function and health.

Uploaded by

lorenaguevara1507
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
17 views4 pages

Documento sin título

Brain tumors are abnormal growths in or around the brain that can be malignant or benign, affecting both children and adults. They can cause serious health issues by pressing on surrounding tissues and may present symptoms such as headaches, seizures, and balance problems. Treatment options exist, and while primary brain tumors are uncommon, they can significantly impact brain function and health.

Uploaded by

lorenaguevara1507
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Brain Cancer (Brain Tumor)

Brain tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous)


and can affect children and adults. But whether they’re cancerous or
not, brain tumors can impact your brain function if they grow large
enough to press on surrounding tissues. There are several treatment
options for brain tumors.

What is a brain tumor?

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth or mass of cells in or around your brain.


Together, spinal tumors and brain tumors are called central nervous system (CNS)
tumors.

Brain tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous). Some tumors


grow quickly, while others are slow growing.

Only about one-third of brain tumors are cancerous. But whether they’re cancerous
or not, brain tumors can impact brain function and your health if they grow large
enough to press on surrounding nerves, blood vessels and tissue.

Tumors that develop in your brain are called primary tumors. Tumors that spread to
your brain after forming in a different part of your body are called secondary tumors,
or metastatic brain tumors. This article focuses on primary brain tumors.

Who do brain tumors affect?

Brain tumors can affect anyone. They're slightly more common in males.

Meningioma, which is usually benign, is the only type of brain tumor that’s more
common in females.

The most serious type of brain tumor, glioblastoma, is becoming more common
among people who are as the general population ages.

How common are primary brain tumors?

Primary brain tumors (tumors that originate in your brain) are uncommon. Only about
5 per 100,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor each year in the
United States.

About 4,100 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with a brain or central
nervous system tumor each year in the United States.
How serious are brain tumors?

Brain tumors — whether cancerous or not — can cause serious problems. This is
because your skull is rigid and doesn’t provide room for the tumor to expand. Also, if
a tumor develops near parts of your brain that control vital functions, it may cause
symptoms, such as:

●​ Weakness.
●​ Difficulty walking.
●​ Problems with balance.
●​ Partial or complete loss of vision.
●​ Difficulty understanding or using language.
●​ Memory issues.

Brain tumors can cause problems by:

●​ Directly invading and destroying healthy brain tissue.


●​ Putting pressure on nearby tissue.
●​ Increasing pressure within your skull (intracranial pressure).
●​ Causing fluid to build up in your brain.
●​ Blocking the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the spaces
within your brain, causing those spaces to enlarge.
●​ Causing bleeding in your brain.

However, some people have brain tumors that never cause symptoms or grow large
enough to compress surrounding tissues.

Symptoms and Causes


Brain tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). There are
over 150 different types of brain tumors.

What are the signs and symptoms of brain tumors?

Some people who have a brain tumor experience no symptoms, especially if it’s very
small.

Signs and symptoms of a brain tumor vary depending on the tumor’s location, size
and type. They can include:

●​ Headaches that may be more severe in the morning or wake you up at night.
●​ Seizures.
●​ Difficulty thinking, speaking or understanding language.
●​ Personality changes.
●​ Weakness or paralysis in one part or one side of your body.
●​ Balance problems or dizziness.
●​ Vision issues.
●​ Hearing issues.
●​ Facial numbness or tingling.
●​ Nausea or vomiting.
●​ Confusion and disorientation.

It’s important to see your healthcare provider if you’re experiencing these symptoms.

What causes brain tumors?

Researchers know brain tumors develop when certain genes on the chromosomes of
a cell are damaged and no longer function properly, but they aren’t sure why this
happens. Your DNA in your chromosomes tells cells throughout your body what to do
— it tells them when to grow, when to divide or multiply and/or when to die.

When brain cell DNA changes, it gives your brain cells new instructions. Your body
develops abnormal brain cells that grow and multiply faster than normal and
sometimes live longer than normal. When that happens, the ever-growing crowd of
abnormal cells takes over space in your brain.

In some cases, a person may be born with changes in one or more of these genes.
Environmental factors, such as exposure to large amounts of radiation from X-rays
or previous cancer treatment, may then lead to further damage.

In other cases, the environmental injury to the genes may be the only cause.

There are a few rare, inherited (passed down from parent to child) genetic
syndromes that are associated with brain tumors, including:

●​ Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1 gene).


●​ Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2 gene).
●​ Turcot syndrome (APC gene).
●​ Gorlin syndrome (PTCH gene).
●​ Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC1 and TSC2 genes).
●​ Li-Fraumeni syndrome (TP53 gene).

Only about 5% to 10% of people with brain tumors have a family history of a brain
tumor.

You might also like