Modern science still has not been able to identify the exact causes of most brain tumors. A few risk factors are known to exist, but for the most part, brain tumors just appear out of nowhere without any cause.
Brain tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), and they can wreak havoc on a person’s productivity and life. Even benign brain tumors can cause serious or fatal health consequences, depending on their size and location. Malignant brain tumors are a form of cancer and may or may not be treatable.
A tumor is a mass of tissue that exists due to an accumulation of abnormal cells. These cells do not age, die and get replaced like healthy cells. They are mutated cells that do not expire, but rather form a conglomerate of unhealthy, cancerous cells into what we know as a tumor. The tumor increases in size as more abnormal cells are added to the mass.
Types of Brain Tumors
There are multiple kinds of tumors that can affect the brain. The area of the brain affected and the type of symptoms can vary based on the type of tumor that exists.
- Primary brain tumors: Cells that make up the central nervous system and the brain comprise a primary tumor. This is the most common type of brain tumor and can be diagnosed as either an astrocytic tumor or glioma. This type of tumor affects the nerves.
- Meningeal tumors: These are the second-most common tumors diagnosed in the brain and develop in the meninges -- the thin tissue that covers the spinal cord and brain itself.