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
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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