The cause of brain cancer is not yet known. However, according to various studies, there are a number of factors that can increase a person's risk for developing brain cancer, inAmong them are heredity (genetic), environmental pollution, exposure to radiation, to smoking habits.
Tumors can be categorized into 2 types, namely benign and malignant. Any type of tumor that is malignant is called cancer, including brain cancer. Brain cancer occurs due to genetic changes in brain cells, so that these cells grow uncontrollably and damage the surrounding tissue. In addition to growing rapidly, these brain cells also do not function normally.
Two Types of Brain Cancer
According to its origin, brain cancer can be classified into two, namely:
Primary brain cancer
This is a brain cancer that originates in the brain itself. There are many types of primary brain cancer, and each type is named after the part of the brain or the type of brain cell that is malignant. The most common types of primary brain cancer are: glioma (cancer originating from glial cells in the brain) and medulloblastoma (brain cancer originating in the cerebellum).
Secondary brain cancer
Another name is metastatic brain cancer, which is brain cancer that arises due to the spread of cancer cells from other organs or body parts. Several types of cancer that quite often spread to the brain and cause secondary brain cancer are breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, kidney cancer, and colon cancer.
Causes of Brain Cancer sin general
As explained above, the cause of brain cancer is not yet known with certainty. However, there are a number of factors that are thought to increase a person's risk of developing this disease, namely:
1. Genetic factors
Most cases of brain tumors occur in people who have a family history of cancer. A person who has a family history of genetic diseases, such as Gorlin syndrome, Turner syndrome, Li-Fraumani syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, or neurofibromatosis, is also said to be at increased risk of developing brain cancer.
2.Radiation Exposure
Radiation exposure that can increase the risk of brain cancer can come from nuclear radiation, atomic bomb explosions, or radiotherapy to treat cancer. People who are exposed to high doses of radiation or for long periods of time, either to the head or other parts of the body, are at increased risk of developing cancer, including brain cancer.
Tumor and cancer cells due to high radiation exposure generally only develop about 10-15 years after exposure. While radiation exposure from radiological examinations, such as CT scans and X-rays, or HP radiation, so far is still considered not high enough to cause brain cancer.
3. Environmental pollution
Exposure to certain chemicals in the long term can increase the risk of cancer, including brain cancer. These chemicals include pesticides, herbicides (weed killers), vinyl chloride in plastic products, tin, and chemicals found in rubber, fuel, and textiles.
Those at risk of exposure to these chemicals are farmers, oil refinery workers, and employees of the plastics, rubber and textile industries.
4. Smoking habit
The chemicals in cigarettes can damage the body's cells, which in turn can cause lung cancer and increase the risk of other cancers, including brain cancer.
5. Viral infection
Viral infections can cause damage to cell DNA, potentially causing cells to turn into cancer. It can also occur in brain cells. Several types of viruses have been linked to brain cancer, including HIV, cytomegalovirus and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
6. Age and gender
From a number of medical data, brain cancer is more commonly found in children and the elderly. For its own type, women are said to be more at risk of meningioma type brain cancer, while medullablastoma type brain cancer is more often found in children.
The risk of brain cancer due to heredity cannot be prevented. While exposure to radiation, chemicals, and smoking habits are factors that can be avoided to reduce the risk of brain cancer.
Keep in mind, the risk factors above are not absolute causes of brain cancer. If a person has one or more risk factors, it does not necessarily mean that he will develop brain cancer. These factors only increase the risk of brain cancer.
In contrast, brain cancer can occur even in the absence of risk factors. Therefore, further research is needed to study the causes of brain cancer and its risk factors.