Brain Tumours
A brain tumour is an abnormal growth of cells in the brain. If any brain cells grow and multiply abnormally to cause a brain tumour, this is called a primary tumour.
If abnormal cells have spread to the brain from a cancerous tumour in another part of the body, this is called a secondary tumour or a metastasis.
There are two types of brain tumour: malignant and benign.
- Malignant, or cancerous, tumours often invade surrounding tissue and can spread to other parts of the body through the blood stream or lymphatic system. They can also erode ‘healthy’ tissue, as the cells that make up a malignant tumour share very little in common with the healthy cells that surround them.
- Benign, or non-cancerous, tumours tend to grow more slowly and do not spread, although people can have more than one benign tumour. A benign brain tumour can put pressure on the brain as it grows inside the enclosed space of the skull, and this may compress and damage healthy tissue.
For more information on this please see this leaflet courtesy of the Brain and Spinal Foundation (EXTERNAL PDF LINK).
Text from above image: Common Symptoms of a Brain Tumour: Persistent headaches, Seizures, Nausea or vomiting, Drowsiness, Balance problems, Eye problems, Behaviour changes, Difficulty swallowing / speaking. - Whilst these symptoms can be common early warning signs of brain cancer it is important to remember that these symptoms are often caused by other medical conditions. But if you have any of these symtoms for more than 3 weeks it is important to see your doctor.
See a GP if you have these types of symptoms, particularly if you have a headache that feels different from the type of headache you usually get, or if headaches are getting worse.
You may not have a brain tumour, but these types of symptoms should be checked.
If the GP cannot identify a more likely cause of your symptoms, they may refer you to a doctor who specialises in the brain and nervous system (neurologist) for further assessment and tests, such as a brain scan.
There are several risk factors that may increase your chances of developing a brain tumour.
Risk factors include:
- Age – the risk of getting a brain tumour increases with age (most brain tumours happen in older adults aged 85 to 89), although some types of brain tumour are more common in children
- Radiation – exposure to radiation accounts for a very small number of brain tumours; some types of brain tumours are more common in people who have had radiotherapy, CT scans or X-rays of the head
- Family history and genetic conditions – some genetic conditions are known to increase the risk of getting a brain tumour, including tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis type 1, neurofibromatosis type 2 and Turner syndrome
For advice on how to reduce the risk of cancer please take a look at the leaflet below generated by Cancer Research UK:
Reduce the Risk of Cancer Leaflet (PDF, 121KB)
If you would like to know more there is information and support available at the following websites: