Brain tumors are a disease that arises due to the growth of abnormal tissue in the brain. Depending on the type, there are brain tumors that are benign or malignant.
The appearance of a tumor in the brain can come from the brain tissue itself (or called a primary brain tumor), it can also come from cancer in other organs that spreads to the brain (secondary brain tumor). This article will discuss tumors that originate from the brain's own tissue.
Symptoms of Brain Tumor
Symptoms of brain tumors vary depending on the type. Symptoms that appear are influenced by the size, speed of growth, and location of the tumor. Small brain tumors often do not cause symptoms. As a brain tumor develops, symptoms such as headaches, nervous breakdowns, or seizures may appear.
Causes of Brain Tumors
The growth of brain tumors is caused by changes or genetic mutations in brain cells. The cause of this genetic change is still unknown. However, there are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing a brain tumor, namely:
- Age
- Descendants
- Have you ever had radiotherapy?
Diagnosis and Brain Tumor Treatment
The doctor will perform a neurological examination and imaging tests, such as CT scan or an MRI of the brain to look for a brain tumor. Then the doctor will determine the type of brain tumor through a tumor biopsy, which is taking a sample of tumor tissue to be examined under a microscope. Determining the type of tumor will help the doctor to estimate the severity of the disease and plan treatment.
Patients with brain tumors, both benign and malignant tumors, can undergo treatment using radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or surgery (one of them is gamma ray surgery). After brain tumor treatment, patients can undergo physiotherapy to speed up the recovery process.