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Brain Cancer

Medical Author: Charles Davis, MD, PhD
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Brain Cancer Symptoms: Headaches and Seizures

Medical Author: Benjamin C. Wedro, MD, FAAEM
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Read more about headaches and seizures

Most people seek medical care to make certain that nothing bad is happening in their body. They seek reassurance from their doctor that all is well. Unasked questions that linger fill patients and their families with dread until their concerns are addressed.

"Is my abdominal pain due to appendicitis?"

"Am I having a heart attack?"

And the 800 pound gorilla in the room: "Is there 'something really bad' causing my headache?"

For golf legend Seve Ballesteros, there is something bad happening in his body. Two weeks ago, he experienced a grand mal seizure for the first time. As part of the evaluation of a new onset seizure, a CT scan of his brain was done and revealed a large tumor. It is amazing that significant parts of the brain can be destroyed and yet the patient can have normal function. Looking back, though, friends had reported that Mr. Ballesteros had been complaining of headaches, and perhaps he had had a few episodes of unusual or erratic behavior. Often the clues are recognized after the fact and can help explain previous events.

What is brain cancer?

Brain cancer is a disease of the brain where cancer cells (malignant) grow in the brain tissue. Cancer cells grow to form a mass of cancer tissue (tumor) that interferes with brain tissue functions such as muscle control, sensation, memory, and other normal body functions. Tumors composed of cancer cells are called malignant tumors, and those composed of noncancerous cells are called benign tumors. Cancer cells that develop from brain tissue are called primary brain tumors. Statistics suggest that brain cancer is not rare and is likely to develop in about 20,000 people per year.

What is metastatic brain cancer?

Cancer cells that develop in a body organ such as the lung (primary cancer tissue type) can go to other body organs such as the brain. Tumors formed by such cancer cells that spread (metastasize) to other organs are called metastatic tumors. Metastatic brain cancer is a mass of cells (tumor) that originated in another body organ and has spread into the brain tissue. Metastatic tumors in the brain are more common than primary brain tumors.

What causes brain cancer?

Primary brain tumors arise from many types of brain tissue (for example, glial cells, astrocytes, and other brain cell types). Metastatic brain cancer is caused by the spread of cancer cells from a body organ to the brain. However, the causes for the change from normal cells to cancer cells in both metastatic and primary brain tumors are not fully understood. Data gathered by research scientists show that people with certain risk factors (situations or things associated with people that increase the probability of developing problems) are more likely to develop brain cancer. Individuals with risk factors such as having a job in an oil refinery, as a chemist, embalmer, or rubber-industry worker show higher rates of brain cancer. Some families have several members with brain cancer, but heredity as a cause for brain tumors has not been proven. Other risk factors such as smoking, radiation exposure, and viral infection (HIV) have been suggested but not proven to cause brain cancer. There is no good evidence that brain cancer is contagious, caused by head trauma, or caused by cell phone use.



Next: What are the symptoms of brain cancer? »

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