Brain Tumors

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells that begins in the brain, and it can be benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors do not contain cancer cells and once removed, they rarely grow back. However, benign brain tumors can also cause serious health problems and may become malignant. Malignant brain tumors are cancerous. They grow rapidly, invade surrounding tissue, and are usually life-threatening.

Types of brain tumors

Primary brain tumors: These tumors begin in the brain, and they are classified according to the area of the brain in which they start to grow or which type of cell they affect.

Secondary brain tumors: These tumors are caused by cancer that starts in another part of the body, for example the lungs, but spreads to the brain. This is also known as metastatic brain cancer.

Causes of brain tumors

The exact cause of brain tumors still unknown, but they have been found to be more prevalent among adults over the age of 60 (although brain tumors are also the second most common cancer in children after leukemia), and more common in males (meningiomas are the only types of brain tumors that have been found to affect women more than men).

Factors that may increase the risk of developing brain tumors:

Exposure to radiation such as through high-dose x-rays used in radiotherapy aimed at the head.
Rare genetic conditions including neurofibromatosis, Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and Turcot's syndrome.

Symptoms of brain tumors

Headaches (that are worse in the morning)
Nausea
Blurred vision or other changes in your vision
Muscle spasms or seizures
Changes in speech
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty concentrating
Memory problems
Changes in mood or personality
Fatigue or lethargy

Diagnosis of brain tumors

Complete physical and neurological exam to test vision, hearing, muscle reflexes, coordination and sensation in addition to other neurological functions
MRI scan
CT scan for the brain
CSF test
Biopsy either through surgery or a needle biopsy to extract some tissue to be further examined in a lab

Treatment of brain tumors at KHCC

At KHCC, brain tumors are treated by a team of dedicated neurosurgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, neurologists, and other specialists. Treatment can involve surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy depending on the type of brain tumor and how advanced it is.