A chronic headache might be a brain tumor

Most often headaches are ignored not only by the patients but also by the doctors. But every time headache is not due to mild stress or tension. If it is associated with nausea and vomitting, the probality is that it may be due to increase in pressure of the brain caused by a mass or a brain tumor. Thus one should be aware and alert if suffering from chronic headache.

Study reports suggests that brain tumor is increasing in incidence not only in USA but globally. In India, according to reports of the National Brain Tumor Foundation (NBTF) in 2007, totally 80,271 people are affected by various types of brain tumours.

What are the types of brain tumors

Cancer of brain can occur at any age, in fact it is the most common of all solid tumors in children. Though studies reports its occurance as most common in children between three to 12 years old, and adults 40 to 70 years old.

Normally brain tumors are those which occur within the brain itself called primary tumors and those in which cancer that begins in other parts of the body spreads to the brain called metastatic tumor or secondary tumor. Secondary tumors in brain are more common than primary one.

As the secondary tumors in the brain are more common, so there is chances of malignant cancer more than a benign one, though a brain tumor can also be benign, which is usually circumscibed and does not spread od metastasize or a malignant one which may spread to adjacent organs or even distant organs. The classification of benign and malignant brain tumors applies to primary tumors.

What are the causes of brain tumor

The cause of primary brain tumors are not known exactly. Though there are certain issues like exposure to certain chemicals, radiations etc may be a predisposing or risk factors.

There were myth that artificial sweetener has been a risk factor foe brain cancer, but studies has proved it false and is just a report limited to some internet sites without any reality. There are also rumor about use of cell phones and many researcher had doubt that the vibration of cell phones may be a risk factor for brain tumors but still nothing clear reports has been published.

The secondary brain tumor may be due to deposits from metastasis of cancers of lung, breast, colon etc. It metastasizes through hematogenous route. In brain the most common site of occurance of secondaries is cerebral cortex.

Metastatic brain tumors

Metastatic brain tumor or secondary tumors are most common brain cancers in adults. The most common location in intraparenchymal, an area beneath the grey and white junction. In adult male it is the lung cancer which most commonly metastasize to brain while in adult female it is breast cancer as the most common one form secondary cancer at brain.

Secondary brain tumor can have a single metastasis or multiple metastasis where there may be tumor at more than one place in brain. The source of single brain metastasis are more commonly from cancer colon, breast cancer and renal cell cancer, while sources of multiple brain metastasis include malignant melanoma and lung cancer.

The sign and symptoms of the brain tumor mainly occurs due to mass there which increases intracranial pressure. The mainstay of diagnosis of brain tumor is CT scan and MRI but there are various other investigations too which are required most often like Isotope scan, encephalogram etc. Details about sign, symptoms and diagnosis is given at Diagnosis of brain tumor.

Regarding treatment surgery is the main mode of treatment. Some brain tumors may require microsurgery. In secondaries palliative treatment is given. For details about treatment please see Treatment of brain tumors.