What is a brain tumor?
The St. Luke’s Center for Neuroscience specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors. A brain tumor is the result of irregular cell growth in the brain.
Two Types of Brain Tumors
Primary – Brain tumors that form in the brain.
Secondary – Brain tumors that spread from cancers in other parts of the body, such as the skin, lungs, breasts and colon.
Brain tumors can be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). People suffering from a brain tumor may experience the following symptoms:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Vision problems
- Memory loss
- Confusion
- Behavior change
- Vomiting
The symptoms can be caused by the type, location, and size of the tumor. They also can appear as the tumor grows in size and puts pressure on the brain.
It is not known what causes the irregular cell growth associated with brain tumors. Some may be caused by radiation treatments in the head area for other types of cancers. In rare cases, some brain tumors are the result of family history.
Treating Brain Tumors
There are more than 100 types of brain tumors. Treatments are determined by the type, location, size and stage of the tumor:
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Surgery
Other factors caregivers consider before setting a course of action are a person’s medical history and age.
Preventing Brain Tumors
There are no known ways to prevent brain tumors.