What are brain tumors?

Brain tumors are collections of abnormal cells that grow out of control, either in the brain itself or in layers of tissue covering the brain. The symptoms depend on the area of the brain where they occur, survival, and whether they can be treated depends partly on this, and also on the type of cells that give rise to tumors.
What causes brain tumors and who are at risk?

There are well established risk factors for brain tumors, reports of a link between cell phones and brain tumors is an issue of great controversy, and the relationship has not been confirmed.

There are two main types of brain tumors: gliomas and meningiomas.
Gliomas

Many of gliomas, but not all, are malignant (cancer). Gliomas can grow to considerable size before symptoms are noticed.

Headache is an early symptom of around one third of patients. Headache may occur during the night, waking the patient from sleep, and the first thing can be worse in the morning. Vomiting is a common symptom that accompanies it. Dizziness can also occur. The main symptom of a glioma from other suits.
Meningiomas

Meningiomas are usually benign and slow growing. They can reach a considerable size before they cause significant symptoms.

The symptoms they produce are as varied as those of gliomas, and may also include personality changes, progressive loss of vision in one eye, double vision and sometimes headaches.
Tumors of the pituitary

Most pituitary tumors are benign. There may be some loss of vision, which is often not perceived by the patient. Other effects are often due to the hormones produced by the tumor. These effects may include secretion of milk from the nipples, infertility, enlarged hands and feet with overgrowth of the mandible or high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, according to the hormones produced in large quantities.
How doctors recognize brain tumors?

Diagnosis is made by performing a brain scan, either computed tomography (CT), which uses X-rays, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses magnetic fields (see separate datasheets). These scanners often provide useful information on the type of tumor. It will also require a brain biopsy to remove a small sample of the tumor to confirm the diagnosis.
What is the treatment of brain tumors?

Malignant brain tumors

Malignant tumors are generally treated by a combination of surgery and radiotherapy (cancer killing x-rays), sometimes with cancer chemotherapy (drugs that kill them) too. Because these tumors often spread into the surrounding normal brain is generally not possible to completely remove the tumor.

Benign brain tumors

Benign brain tumors as meningiomas, grow more slowly than malignant tumors. Complete surgical removal and thereby cure is often possible. Radiation therapy is occasionally given to a glioma tumor is benign, when compressing a part of the brain and cause symptoms.

Pituitary tumors can often be completely removed by surgery, and some can be reduced with tablets. By: Sajid Latif
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