Risk Factors: Brain Tumor

Risk factors
Brain tumor
Malignant Benign
Primary tumors Secondary tumors
Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Benign
 brain tumors do not contain cancer cells:

 Usually, benign tumors can be removed, and they

seldom grow back.
 The border or edge of a benign brain tumor can be

clearly seen. Cells from benign tumors do not invade
tissues around them or spread to other parts of the
body. However, benign tumors can press on sensitive
areas of the brain and cause serious health problems.
 Unlike benign tumors in most other parts of
the body, benign brain tumors are sometimes
life threatening.
 Very rarely, a benign brain tumor may become

malignant.
Malignant
 brain

tumors contain cancer cells:
 Malignant brain tumors are generally more
serious and often are life threatening.
 They are likely to grow rapidly and crowd or

invade the surrounding healthy brain tissue.
 Very rarely, cancer cells may break away from a
malignant brain tumor and spread to other parts of the
brain, to the spinal cord, or even to other parts of the
body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.
 Sometimes, a malignant tumor does not extend into
healthy tissue. The tumor may be contained within a
layer of tissue. Or the bones of the skull or another
structure in the head may confine it. This kind of
tumor is called encapsulated.
Primary tumor
Astrocytoma Brain stem glioma Ependymoma Oligodendroglioma
Medulloblastoma
Meningioma
Schwannoma
Pineal region tumor
Craniopharyngioma
Germ cell tumor of the brain

Primary tumor
Astrocytoma
 The tumor arises from star-shaped glial cells
called astrocytes. In adults, astrocytomas most
often arise in the cerebrum. In children, they
occur in the brain stem, the cerebrum, and the
cerebellum. A grade III astrocytoma is
sometimes called an anaplastic astrocytoma. A
grade IV astrocytoma is usually called a
glioblastoma multiforme
Brain stem glioma
 The tumor occurs in the lowest part of the
brain. Brain stem gliomas most often are
diagnosed in young children and middle-aged
adults.
Ependymoma
 The tumor arises from cells that line the
ventricles or the central canal of the spinal
cord. They are most commonly found in
children and young adults.
Oligodendroglioma
 This rare tumor arises from cells that make
the fatty substance that covers and protects
nerves. These tumors usually occur in the
cerebrum. They grow slowly and usually do
not spread into surrounding brain tissue. They
are most common in middle-aged adults.
Medulloblastoma
 This tumor usually arises in the cerebellum. It
is the most common brain tumor in children. It
is sometimes called a primitive
neuroectodermal tumor.
Meningioma
 This tumor arises in the meninges. It usually
grows slowly.
Schwannoma
 A tumor that arises from a Schwann cell.
These cells line the nerve that controls balance
and hearing. This nerve is in the inner ear. The
tumor is also called an acoustic neuroma. It
occurs most often in adults.
Craniopharyngioma
 The tumor grows at the base of the brain, near
the pituitary gland. This type of tumor most
often occurs in children.
Germ cell tumor of the brain
 The tumor arises from a germ cell. Most germ
cell tumors that arise in the brain occur in
people younger than 30. The most common
type of germ cell tumor of the brain is a
germinoma.
Pineal region tumor
 This rare brain tumor arises in or near the
pineal gland. The pineal gland is located
between the cerebrum and the cerebellum.
Secondary tumor
 When cancer spreads from its original place to
another part of the body, the new tumor has the same
kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the
primary tumor. Cancer that spreads to the brain from
another part of the body is different from a primary
brain tumor. When cancer cells spread to the brain
from another organ (such as the lung or breast),
doctors may call the tumor in the brain a secondary
tumor or metastatic tumor. Secondary tumors in the
brain are far more common than primary brain
tumors.
Risk factors
Predisposing Precipitating
Gender Environment
Age
Race
Family History
Being male
 In general, brain tumors are more common in
males than females. However, meningiomas
are more common in females.
Race
 Brain tumors occur more often among white
people than among people of other races.
Age
 Most brain tumors are detected in people who
are 70 years old or older. However, brain
tumors are the second most common cancer in
children. (Leukemia is the most common
childhood cancer.) Brain tumors are more
common in children younger than 8 years old
than in older children.
Family history
 People with family members who have
gliomas may be more likely to develop this
disease.
Exposure to chemicals
 Radiation - Workers in the nuclear industry have an
increased risk of developing a brain tumor.
 Formaldehyde - Pathologists and embalmers who

work with formaldehyde have an increased risk of
developing brain cancer. Scientists have not found an
increased risk of brain cancer among other types of
workers exposed to formaldehyde.
 Vinyl chloride - Workers who make plastics
may be exposed to vinyl chloride. This
chemical may increase the risk of brain
tumors.
 Acrylonitrile - People who make textiles and

plastics may be exposed to acrylonitrile. This
exposure may increase the risk of brain cancer.
Signs and Symptoms
 Headaches (usually worse in the morning)
 Nausea or vomiting
 Changes in speech, vision, or hearing
 Problems balancing or walking

 Changes in mood, personality, or ability to
concentrate
 Problems with memory
 Muscle jerking or twitching (seizures or

convulsions)
 Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs

Diagnosis
Physical exam Neurologic exam CT scan
MRI Angiogram Skull x-ray Spinal tap
Myelogram Biopsy Needle biopsy
Stereotactic biopsy
Physical exam
 The doctor checks general signs of health.
Neurologic exam
 The doctor checks for alertness, muscle
strength, coordination, reflexes, and response
to pain. The doctor also examines the eyes to
look for swelling caused by a tumor pressing
on the nerve that connects the eye and brain.
CT scan
 An x-ray machine linked to a computer takes a
series of detailed pictures of the head. The
patient may receive an injection of a special
dye so the brain shows up clearly in the
pictures. The pictures can show tumors in the
brain
MRI
 A powerful magnet linked to a computer makes

detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These
pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be
printed. Sometimes a special dye is injected to help
show differences in the tissues of the brain. The
pictures can show a tumor or other problem in the
brain.
Angiogram
 Dye injected into the bloodstream flows into
the blood vessels in the brain to make them
show up on an x-ray. If a tumor is present, the
doctor may be able to see it on the x-ray.
Skull x-ray
 Some types of brain tumors cause calcium
deposits in the brain or changes in the bones of
the skull. With an x-ray, the doctor can check
for these changes.
Spinal tap
 - The doctor may remove a sample of cerebrospinal
fluid (the fluid that fills the spaces in and around the
brain and spinal cord). This procedure is performed
with local anesthesia. The doctor uses a long, thin
needle to remove fluid from the spinal column. A
spinal tap takes about 30 minutes. The patient must
lie flat for several hours afterward to keep from
getting a headache. A laboratory checks the fluid for
cancer cells or other signs of problems.
Myelogram
 This is an x-ray of the spine. A spinal tap is
performed to inject a special dye into the
cerebrospinal fluid. The patient is tilted to
allow the dye to mix with the fluid. This test
helps the doctor detect a tumor in the spinal
cord.
Biopsy
 The removal of tissue to look for tumor cells is
called a biopsy. A pathologist looks at the cells
under a microscope to check for abnormal
cells. A biopsy can show cancer, tissue
changes that may lead to cancer, and other
conditions. A biopsy is the only sure way to
diagnose a brain tumor.
Needle biopsy
 The surgeon makes a small incision in the
scalp and drills a small hole into the skull. This
is called a burr hole. The doctor passes a
needle through the burr hole and removes a
sample of tissue from the brain tumo
Stereotactic biopsy
 An imaging device, such as CT or MRI, guides
the needle through the burr hole to the location
of the tumor. The surgeon withdraws a sample
of tissue with the needle.
Treatment
Surgery Radiation therapy Fractionation Hyperfractionation
Stereotactic radiation 3-dimensional conformal Proton beam radiation

therapy radiation therapy therapy
Chemotherapy
Surgery
 is the usual treatment for most brain tumors. Surgery
to open the skull is called a craniotomy. It is
performed under general anesthesia. Before surgery
begins, the scalp is shaved. The surgeon then makes
an incision in the scalp and uses a special type of saw
to remove a piece of bone from the skull. After
removing part or all of the tumor, the surgeon covers
the opening in the skull with that piece of bone or
with a piece of metal or fabric. The surgeon then
closes the incision in the scalp.
Radiation therapy
 also called radiotherapy
 uses high-energy rays to kill tumor cells. The
radiation may come from x-rays, gamma rays,
or protons. A large machine aims radiation at
the tumor and the tissue close to it. Sometimes
the radiation may be directed to the entire
brain or to the spinal cord.
Fractionation
 Radiation therapy usually is given five days a
week for several weeks. Giving the total dose
of radiation over an extended period helps to
protect healthy tissue in the area of the tumor.
Hyperfractionation
 The patient gets smaller doses of radiation two
or three times a day instead of a larger amount
once a day.
Stereotactic radiation therapy
 Narrow beams of radiation are directed at the tumor
from different angles. For this procedure, the patient
wears a rigid head frame. An MRI or CT scan creates
pictures of the tumor's exact location. The doctor uses
a computer to decide on the dose of radiation needed,
as well as the sizes and angles of the radiation beams.
The therapy may be given during a single visit or
over several visits.
3-dimensional conformal radiation
therapy
 A computer creates a 3-dimensional image of
the tumor and nearby brain tissue. The doctor
aims multiple radiation beams to the exact
shape of the tumor. The precise focus of the
radiation beams protects normal brain tissue.
Proton beam radiation therapy
 The source of radiation is protons rather than
x-rays. The doctor aims the proton beams at
the tumor. Protons can pass through healthy
tissue without damaging it
Chemotherapy
 the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, is
sometimes used to treat brain tumors. The
drugs may be given by mouth or by injection.
Either way, the drugs enter the bloodstream
and travel throughout the body. The drugs are
usually given in cycles so that a recovery
period follows each treatment p

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Risk factors

Primary tumors Secondary tumors

Signs and Symptoms

 Usually, benign tumors can be removed, and they

 The border or edge of a benign brain tumor can be

 Very rarely, a benign brain tumor may become

 They are likely to grow rapidly and crowd or

Astrocytoma Brain stem glioma Ependymoma Oligodendroglioma

Germ cell tumor of the brain

 Formaldehyde - Pathologists and embalmers who

 Acrylonitrile - People who make textiles and

 Changes in speech, vision, or hearing

 Problems balancing or walking

 Problems with memory

 Muscle jerking or twitching (seizures or

 Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs

Physical exam Neurologic exam CT scan

MRI Angiogram Skull x-ray Spinal tap

Myelogram Biopsy Needle biopsy

 A powerful magnet linked to a computer makes

Surgery Radiation therapy Fractionation Hyperfractionation

Stereotactic radiation 3-dimensional conformal Proton beam radiation

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