Brain Tumour Facts That You Must Know

Having a brain tumour is not just life-threatening but also devastating for an individual dealing with it. While the signs and symptoms of most types of brain tumours are the same, all tumours are not cancerous or malignant.

Before you start panicking about brain tumours, you must know some important facts about this medical condition. Here are five interesting and crucial facts about brain tumours that people must know before getting the neuro-oncology treatment:

1. Meningioma may grow at various sites

The most common type of brain tumour is meningioma, which grows from cells found in meninges that are the lining of your spinal cord and brain. Since this tumour does not arise from mutated brain cells, these are technically not brain tumours.

However, they grow within your skull and you need to be concerned here. If a meningioma causes swelling and starts compressing a part of your brain or any other area in the skull, it may result in brain tumour symptoms.

2. It is rare to have a primary malignant brain tumour

Having a primary malignant brain tumour is a rare form of cancer. This is because only 1.4% of such brain tumour cases were reported in the US over the years. Usually, secondary brain tumours are the most common. This means that this type of brain tumour has spread to your brain from any other body part such as breasts, prostate, lungs or colon.

3. There’s no specific cause of brain cancer

Many people who are diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour have no specific risk factors associated with this condition. However, some risks factors that may increase an individual’s chances of forming a brain tumour are:

Age factor – As you grow old, the chances of developing a brain tumour are more.

If you come in contact with ionizing radiation during radiation therapy for treating any cancer, you may have a higher risk of developing a brain tumour.

Rare genetic disorders, such as Neurofibromatosis (NF1 and NF2), Von Hippel-Lindau, etc., may also increase the risk of forming brain tumour.

4. There are no particular symptoms of brain tumours

Worsening headaches can be a symptom of many conditions, including brain tumours. Some other symptoms can be eye weakness, personality changes, vomiting, short-term memory loss or difficulty in speaking. However, these symptoms are not specific to a brain tumour, as a patient may or may not experience them even when they have a primary brain tumour. But it’s still important to consult your doctor right away if you experience any of these symptoms.

5. Brain tumours may develop at any age

As mentioned above that the risk of developing a brain tumour is more as you age. But that doesn’t mean young people cannot have a brain tumour. A brain tumour may occur in an individual at any age. However, these are common in older people and some children. Although the average age for developing a brain tumour is 59 years, the most common types of brain cancers occur in 0-14 years of children.

Conclusion

It is best to stay informed about the facts about brain tumour. This way you can help yourself or anyone else who’s diagnosed with this ailment. Once you’re diagnosed with this condition, consult an experienced neurosurgeon for the best neuro-oncology treatment.